Tony Christie has vowed to keep performing until his knees give out, five years into a battle with dementia. The 83-year-old singer was diagnosed with the degenerative brain disorder in 2021 but continues to tour with backstage support from his wife Sue and their two children.
Still singing and enjoying it
“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!”
He added: “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.”
Memory lapses and diagnosis
Christie, a lifelong fan of word puzzles, first noticed uncharacteristic memory lapses when he struggled to complete his favoured cryptic crosswords. It was his wife Sue who urged him 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.”
Career highlights and current tour
Music is currently taking Christie and his family across the UK and Europe on his Great Farewell Tour, a series of intimate acoustic shows covering every chapter of his 60-year career. He began in working men’s clubs while training to be an accountant in the early 1960s, then formed his first short-lived band, Tony Christie and the Trackers, with future Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page. The partnership failed to yield a hit, but solo songs including Las Vegas, Avenues and Alleyways and signature tune (Is This the Way to) Amarillo made him a star.
When top twenty hits dried up, Christie built a new fanbase in Germany, recording exclusively for the German market for more than a decade and producing nine successful albums. In 2002, comedian Peter Kay used Amarillo in an episode of Phoenix Nights, and the song was re-released for Comic Relief, reaching number 1 on the UK chart.
Christie, who fronts a new campaign for Music for Dementia, believes performing old hits regularly 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 for 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.”
