Tom still the biggest draw in town

SINGER David Gray’s album, is still the biggest-selling in Irish chart history 18 years after its release.

The Welsh-born singer got his big break in Ireland before other territories picked up on his immense talent as a singer and songwriter.

“It was the Irish that first heard me and let me sing, and it [his career] built in a word-of-mouth kind of way,” Gray says. “Then happened and it went stratospheric.”

Gray’s wife, Olivia, is half-Irish and he says they considered moving here at one stage with their two daughters, but never got around to it due to his busy life.

This Friday, Gray will release an updated greatest hits collection — entitled — featuring highlights from his albums and two previously unheard tracks alongside classics like ‘Sail Away’, ‘The One I Love’ and ‘Babylon’. BIG TOM is still the king of country here in Ireland and after 50 years on the road, his wagon is still rolling around the highways and byways with his band, The Mainliners.

Asked how he felt about being called ‘a legend’, Tom ( right) laughed: “You get used to it. Definitely, it adds to your status in the game when people start calling you ‘the greatest’.”

As part of their 50th anniversary tour, Big Tom & The Mainliners will perform in the Mullingar Park Hotel, Co Westmeath, next Sunday night, October 30.