EXCLUSIVE: Singer Tony Christie, 83, was diagnosed with dementia in 2021 but continues touring with the support of wife Sue and their two children, saying music remains his driving force
Tony is five years into an agonising battle with dementia(Image: WireImage)
Tony Christie has vowed to keep on performing ‘until his knees give out’ – five years into an agonising battle with dementia.
The veteran star was diagnosed with the degenerative brain disorder in 2021 but has chosen to continue touring with the backstage support of wife Sue and their two children.
“I don’t think much has changed for me. I’m still working,” he told The Mirror: “I’m still singing and enjoying that. I love being on tour. I always say my knees will go before my voice!
“I would say that I have had to slow down the amount of gigs I do, but I am 83! My wife, Sue, and my daughter come with me on tour now, which makes it a lot easier.
“My son, Sean, has been my manager so he’s always been with me, but it’s lovely touring as a family now.”
A lifelong fan of word puzzles, Christie first realised he was experiencing uncharacteristic memory lapses after struggling to complete his favoured cryptic crosswords.
But it was worried wife Sue who urged the singer to have a dementia test after he started forgetting the names of their oldest family friends.
“I always say that Sue is my rock. I’m happiest when she’s with me and I’m so fortunate to have had a career where she’s been able to be alongside me for so much of it,” he said.
“We’re an incredibly close family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I always say one of the secrets to our marriage is laughter. We are both positive people and like to look on the lighter side of life.
“Laughter is a great medicine, as is music.”
Music is currently taking Christie and his family across the UK and Europe as the singer continues his Great Farewell Tour, a series of intimate, acoustic shows that cover every chapter of his distinguished 60-year career.
Christie cut his teeth in working men’s clubs while training to be an accountant in the early 1960s before forming his first short-lived band, Tony Christie and the Trackers – with future Led Zeppelin legend Jimmy Page on guitar.
The unlikely partnership failed to yield a hit, but solo songs including Las Vegas, Avenues and Alleyways and signature tune (Is This the Way to) Amarillo would soon turn Christie into a star.
When the top twenty hits dried up Christie established a new fanbase in Germany – and recorded exclusively for the German market for more than a decade, producing nine successful albums.
In 2002, he found himself back in the spotlight after comedian Peter Kay used Amarillo in an episode of Phoenix Nights. The song was subsequently re-released for Comic Relief, climbing to number 1 on the UKJ chart.
And Christie, who fronts a new campaign on behalf of Music for Dementia, believes performing the old hits on a regular basis has helped preserve his memory.
“When I was diagnosed with dementia my doctor told me that I worked in the best industry for it, as music helps,” he explained.
“Every song comes with so many memories – where we were when we first heard a song, or when I met the singer in real life. Even new songs really inspire me as I love discovering new artists too.”
Currently re-recording some of his German hits ahead of a 20-date tour of Germany in 2027, Christie’s next stop will be Munich and an appearance at supermodel Heidi Klum’s annual Heidifest.
“Sue tells me I have tour dates booked right through 2027,” he said. “I’m happiest on stage so I want to keep going for as long as my knees let me.”
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