Tony Christie
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Tony Christie | |
---|---|
Born | Anthony Fitzgerald 25 April 1943 Conisbrough, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
Years active | 1966–present |
Spouse |
Sue Christie (m. 1968)schlager, brega |
Instrument(s) | Vocals |
Website | TonyChristie.com |
Anthony Fitzgerald (born 25 April 1943),[2] known professionally as Tony Christie, is an English musician and singer. He is best known for his recording of "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo", a double UK chart success.
Career
1960s to 1970s
Born Anthony Fitzgerald, Christie adopted his stage name after seeing the 1965 film Darling, starring Julie Christie.[1][3]
Discovered and managed by
Christie recorded albums regularly throughout the 1970s and made infrequent appearances on the charts. His album With Loving Feeling sold well boosted by the hit single "(Is This The Way to) Amarillo". He recorded an album in the United States in 1973 with the record producer Snuff Garrett, which did little to stop his commercial slide. A live album followed which sold relatively better but by the mid-1970s recorded work became rarer and stage work took preference. In June 1972, he was invited to take part in the music festival, The Golden Orpheus, in Bulgaria, which was recorded and published on vinyl by the government musical company Balkanton.
Christie played the role of Magaldi on the original 1976 album recording of
1980s to 1990s
Although his popularity waned in his native England through most of the 1980s and 1990s, Christie maintained a successful singing career in continental Europe during this period. This was especially so in Germany, with four albums recorded with German producer
In 1999, Christie sang the
2000 to 2010
In 2002, "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" was used in the TV comedy series
In 2005, the Dutch singer Albert West covered the same song. This release reached Number 25 in the Dutch record chart. The same year Christie re-recorded "Amarillo" together with the Hermes House Band for the German market, reaching Number 25 in the German charts and having several TV performances. Following the song's success, Christie was awarded the freedom of Amarillo, Texas, and made a guest appearance on the Yorkshire-based TV soap opera Emmerdale.
A few months later he re-released another single, "Avenues & Alleyways", as a follow-up to the success of "Amarillo". Although this only reached Number 26 on the
To coincide with the 2006 World Cup, a new version of "Amarillo" was released on the novelty single "(Is This the Way to) The World Cup" on 29 May 2006, reaching Number 8 in the UK.[6] On 6 November 2006, Christie issued the album Simply in Love.
In 2008, Christie recorded the album
In July 2010, Christie made his
2011 to present
Having signed with the Acid Jazz label, it was announced that a Northern soul inspired album was to be released in January 2011.[8] Christie's nineteenth studio album, Now's the Time!, was released in the UK on 7 February 2011 through Acid Jazz. Produced by Richard Barrett of All Seeing I, it included collaborations with Jarvis Cocker and Róisín Murphy.[7] Martin Townsend of the Daily Express gave it a favourable review, saying it oozed wit and style.[9] The song "Nobody in the World" which was released by Acid Jazz on a 45 RPM single the previous year appears on the album.[10][11]
To coincide with 50 years in the music industry, Christie embarked on a 50-date national tour promoting the new album. Over the course of the summer Christie travelled with his band across the country performing in all kinds of venues. The tour included his back catalogue of hits including "Avenues and Alleyways", "Las Vegas", and "Walk Like A Panther" and several tracks from the new Now's the Time! album. Included in the set list was a version of "Mr Bojangles" made famous by Sammy Davis Jr. and a cover of the Smokey Robinson hit "Shop Around".
On 23 October 2011, Christie released a charity single, a special arrangement of "Steal The Sun" in aid of the Help for Heroes Charity, supporting all of the British Forces fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan. The single was available for download only on iTunes, HMV and Amazon, with all proceeds going to the charity.[12]
From December 2011, Christie appeared in pantomime at The Theatre Royal, Windsor, as the King.[13]
In June 2014, Christie performed at Locke Park, Barnsley, as part of a "Live Picnic in the Park" music event, to raise money and awareness for Barnsley Hospice.[citation needed]
On 1 July 2017, Christie returned to his home village of Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, to be the headlining act at the Conisbrough Music Festival.[14] Christie later appeared at the Cambridge Arts Theatre in the pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, which was set in the fictional town of 'Amarillo' and featured Christie as the King.[15]
Personal life
Christie married his wife Susan in 1968, they have 3 children. They currently reside in Lichfield, Staffordshire. In January 2023, Christie announced he had been diagnosed with dementia.[16]
Discography
References
- ^ a b "Tony Christie: 'Who would play me in a film of my life? Oh, Brad Pitt'". The Guardian. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ "Birthday's today". The Telegraph. 25 April 2012. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
Mr Tony Christie, singer, 69
- ^ a b "He's still giving his all". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
- ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ [1] Archived 1 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Tony Christie: Changing Lanes". Bluesandsoul.com. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ Mod Culture, 24 September 2010 – Tony Christie turns northern soul
- ^ Daily Express, Sun, 6 February 2011 – Album review: Tony Christie – Now's The Time! (Acid Jazz) By Martin Townsend
- ^ 45Cat – Tony Christie – Discography, UK
- ^ Discogs – Tony Christie – Now's The Time!
- ^ [2] Archived 8 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The British Theatre Guide: Interview with Britt Ekland". Britishtheatreguide.info. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ "Conisbrough Music Festival". Cmfonline.co.uk. Retrieved 10 April 2017.
- ^ "JACK AND THE BEANSTALK – Cambridge Arts Theatre". Cambridgeartstheatre.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
- ^ "Tony Christie's heartbreaking admission as he breaks silence on dementia diagnosis". Examiner Live. 24 January 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.