Emotional return to Mayo as legendary Tony Christie prepares to lead parade

LEGENDARY singer, musician and actor Tony Christie is answering a call from his forefather’s Claremorris homeland to star as the grand marshal for the town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade on Friday, March 17, from 2 p.m.

Best known for hit songs such as ‘(Is this the way to) Amarillo’, ‘I did what I did for Maria’ and ‘Avenues & Alleyways’ from the ‘70s, Tony continues to record and perform and is currently on tour across Britain to promote the second edition of his Great Irish Songbook album, accompanied by traditional group Ranagri.

‘Amarillo’, composed by Neil Sedaka, was a huge success for Tony all over the world and received further, if unexpected, notoriety in 2005, when it became extremely popular all over again, with comedian Peter Kay miming to Tony’s record for the BBC Comic Relief TV Show, that topped the charts for seven weeks.

Tony has always been proud of his Irish roots with both his grandparents hailing from south Mayo (Claremorris and Balla).

His grandfather Martin Thomas Fitzgerald (b.1890), educated at the Claremorris Boys National School from 1902, left Convent Road to emigrate to Yorkshire to work in the coalmines.

Anthony (Tony) Fitzgerald (Christie) was born in Conisbrough, Doncaster, on April 25, 1943, and his interest in music stems from his father Martin’s collection of ‘78’ records, listening to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.

Over the decades, Tony has recorded over 40 albums, 70 singles and toured all over the world and more recently put down tracks in Nashville.

During his visit with his family, Tony will take a tour around the local historic and tourist sites in the region and plans to return later in the year with the second edition of his Great Irish Songbook album concert series.

Commenting on his family homecoming, Tony said: “I am truly touched to be invited to the birthplace of my forefathers in Claremorris. Indeed it will be an emotional return for me as Mayo and traditional Irish music has always been close to my heart, since my early days in Yorkshire.

“To be the grand marshal for the town’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is a great honour and I’m also looking forward to it and meeting the local people there.”

Nina Pilbrow, chairperson of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, is very pleased to have Tony come to Claremorris for the special occasion, which kick-starts the revitalised annual parade.

“We are absolutely delighted to be able to welcome Tony to Claremorris, and the return to his roots enables us to restore the St. Patrick’s Day parade in the annual calendar of events in a big way. It’s great to have a celebratory like Tony to headline the event and also allow us to pay honour him in this way,” she commented.