The day I (constructively) heckled the great Tony Christie…
Jimmy Cricket has revealed how he once helped out singer Tony Christie during a show – by shouting out from the audience!
In his new Saturday column in the Lancashire Evening Post, Jimmy explains the reason behind his “constructive heckle”.
Tony, now in his 80s, found fame in the 1970s with songs such as (Is This the Way to) Amarillo.
In 2002, comedian Peter Kay used Amarillo on his TV show Phoenix Nights, leading to a resurgence in the song’s popularity.
Jimmy recalls: “I’ve got a confession to make, readers, I recently heckled another act and it was none other than the great Tony Christie.
“Let me explain. In July of this year I did a show for Talking Pictures TV.
“It’s a channel that specialises in golden oldie movies and television shows and every now and then they take their cameras to one of the quaint, beautiful old cinemas dotted around the country that have managed to avoid the bulldozer.
Scratching their heads
“The one in question here was the Savoy in Monmouth, Wales.
“Tony and his live band had performed a stunning set that included his great hits like Avenues and Alleyways and, of course, (Is This the Way to) Amarillo, when one of the hosts of the event, the renowned broadcaster Mike Read, came on stage.
“They pulled up a couple of chairs and went into a convivial chit-chat.
“The subject got to football and Tony mentioned the fact that as he was born in Doncaster, his favourite boyhood team were Doncaster Rovers, and he especially liked the goalkeeper at the time who went on to play for Manchester United.
“Just then both he and Mike started scratching their heads trying to figure out his name.
“I was sitting up in the balcony and as I was pretty sure I knew who they meant, and not wishing to see a couple of pros in a scrape, I took the bull by the horns and let rip – Harry Gregg! I bellowed.
“They both gratefully accepted my interruption and were able to carry on with their conversation, so you could say it was a constructive heckle.
“By the way, readers, Harry Gregg was one of the Manchester United players on the plane the night of the ill-fated Munich air crash.
Amazing voice
“He survived and became a hero when he managed to pull some people from the wreckage, including Bobby Charlton.
“Getting back to Tony Christie, I remember supporting Tony in the mid-seventies.
“It was a week’s engagement at a cabaret club in Liverpool called The Wooky Hollow.
“I used to go on before him and after I’d come off and change into my civvies, I’d hear this amazing voice belting out his golden hits with a full orchestra.
“I was hooked and used to slip out into the audience and watch his complete show.
“Tony was at the top of his game then and I use to hum his hits as I drove back to our little terraced house in Rochdale.
“When I’d arrive home, I ‘d find a note on the table from Mrs Cricket – I knew you’d stay behind to watch Tony so I left your supper in the oven.
“One last quick story on this subject, friend… I met the lyric writer for those big hits of Tony’s and he told me that he liked to think of those songs like I Did what I Did for Maria as three-minute movies.
“He also told me that when he wrote the first big hit with composer Mitch Murray, Hey, Las Vegas, can nothing save us from you, and they were looking for the right singer to sing it, his postman said he’d just seen this amazing singer at his local club called Tony Christie.
“I think that story’s kind of cute, don’t you?
“You can catch the Talking Pictures TV channel on Sky 328, Freeview 82, Freeset 306 and Virgin 445.
“Their website is www.talkingpictures.co.uk
“See you next month!”
Also read: ‘Thrilled’ over Kindle sales of autobiography on Amazon
In 2002, comedian Peter Kay used Amarillo on his TV show Phoenix Nights, leading to a resurgence in the song’s popularity.
