SINGER TONY’S BIG FIGHT
POP legend Tony fears he is getting down by dementia.
The 76-year-old is having a check-up after his latest tour following a series of scares and he admits his memory has got “bad”.
But so far he has been able to carry on his singing career with the help of an autocue.
Tony, best-known for the No1 hit (Is This The Way To) Amarillo?, said: “I’ve noticed for a few years my memory has been getting worse, which is a serious concern as there’s a history of dementia in my family.”
He added: “It’s got to the point now where I have to have the lyrics to all the songs I perform live written on autocue, and most of them I’ve been singing for half a century.
“I also need to look at the screen to check the names of my bandmates before I introduce them.
“I had a particularly embarrassing moment recently when I walked on stage in Leipzig and told the audience ‘It’s great to be back in Hamburg.’
“It’s got so bad now that I will have a check-up when I return to the UK after this German tour ends.”
Tony takes Ginkgo tablets to aid his memory.
But he also forgets this,
Christie struck as well as the place he last left the pills.
He discusses his dementia fears in his newly published autobiography The Song Interpreter.
But the book would not have been possible without help. Tony said: “Many experiences I could only recall thanks to my wife Sue, because I just couldn’t remember.”
In 1971 he reached No2 with I Did What I Did For Maria and No18 with the first release of Amarillo.
Even bigger success followed in 2005 when Peter Kay used Amarillo for a Comic Relief single. It went to No1 for seven weeks.