Tony Mantor's : Almost Live..... Nashville - Behind the Hits: Tony Christie's Musical Journey

Episode Date: September 23, 2025

Tony Christie shares his remarkable journey from performing in small UK nightclubs to becoming an international star touring worldwide after signing with MCA Records in 1971. His life transformed completely as hit songs like "Las Vegas" and "Amarillo" opened doors to global tours and changed his family's circumstances forever. • Career launched by manager Harvey Lisberg, who also managed Herman's Hermits • Experienced multiple career revivals, including when Peter Kay used "Amarillo" in his TV show • Recorded new albums in Nashville with top session musicians • Currently navigating a dementia diagnosis but continuing to perform extensively • Touring actively at age 81 with performances scheduled throughout the year • Recently released albums "We Still Shine" and "A New Life" • Hoping to perform in Amarillo, Texas, where he was given the key to the city • Maintains multi-generational appeal with families attending shows together Join us for this inspiring conversation about resilience, musical passion, and finding new beginnings at any age Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

My career in the entertainment industry has enabled me to work with a diverse range of talent. Through my years of experience, I've recognized two essential aspects. Industry professionals, whether famous stars or behind-the-scenes staff, have fascinating stories to tell. Secondly, audiences are eager to listen to these stories, which offer a glimpse into their lives and the evolution of their life stories. This podcast aims to share these narratives, providing, information on how they evolved into their chosen career. We will delve into their journey to stardom, discuss their struggles and successes, and hear from people who help them achieve their goals. Get ready for intriguing behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the fascinating

world of entertainment. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to Almost Live Nashville. We're thrilled to welcome Tony Christie, a remarkable artist discovered and managed by Harvey Lissberg, renowned for launching Hermes Hermits. Tony soared to fame with three hit singles in 1971 on MCA Records, captivating audiences worldwide on tour. Today, we'll explore his illustrious career from chart-topping success to his inspiring journey after a dementia diagnosis in 2023. Despite this challenge, Tony continues to perform and record showcasing an incredible legacy and an optimistic outlook. Later in the show, we'll be joined by his. son Sean to join in the conversation. So before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an

uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors. Thanks for joining us today, Tony. It's an honor to have you here. Pleasure. Yes, mine as well. Now, I understand that you started off early in life with a manager by the name of Harvey Lissberg. That's right. It was my manager, yeah. He was Hermus Hermits manager at the time, and then he took me over and, yeah, Harvey I understand he was very instrumental in getting me a record deal with MCA records. Yeah, he got me the record deal. He's changed my life, basically. He got me a record deal, and I started having hits around the world, so it changed my life.

Yeah, that's great. I think it was like early 70s that you had the big record, Las Vegas, which climbed the charts in the UK. 1971, yeah, yeah? Once you started having the hit records, how did that affect you? How did your life change moving forward? Oh, completely. I mean, at the time, I was, I'd been married three years to my wife, 1990, 68, we married. And we were living in a little apartment in a block of flats in Sheffield. And it changed my life, basically, because suddenly I was being invited over to New Zealand,

in Australia, and around the world. It was just, you know, it changed my life completely. Yeah, that's just so very good. Now, before you get signed by MCA, where was you performing? Was you just doing local shows? On the nightclub circuit, everywhere, all over the UK. Wherever there was a nightclub, I'd be doing it. Yeah, that's great.

Now, once you was signed by MCA, you went from doing the nightclub circuit to major concerts. How did that feel and what happened from there? Oh, it did. I mean, suddenly, from doing little nightclubs, I was suddenly at the Albert Hall and doing these huge venues, and it was a life changer in a good way.

You know, it changed my life that at the time. For all that, my wife and I were living in a little apartment, you know, block of flats near Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. And it was, you know, but just changed my life. Open the world. Yeah, that's great. So did you record mostly other people's songs, or did you do some songwriting yourself?

I did a little bit of writing, but I basically, My manager, Harvey Lisberg, he managed the Emma's Hermits and various songwriters. So I started getting songs from some of the top writers who were having hits around the world. And suddenly my manager said, I'll get yourself. And then they started giving me these hit songs. So that really changed my life. Yeah, it's always nice to get great songs to record. Now, once you was recording and out there, did you tour consistently,

or did you take some breaks every now and then? How did that go? I never stopped. I was a workaholic. And when you're that and you're married and you've got a little kid, who was my son, Sean, if you've spoken to, living in a flat, in a block of flats. You know, you work, you just work, work, work, work, damn it. Never turned any work, no.

That toured around the world in Australian newsage and all these places. And I never turned work down. Because we struggled for years and years and years, my wife and I, and I said, that's it, I'm going to work myself to death. And I did. I just carried on working. Never turned anything down. Yeah, that's a great thing. So what did it feel like? You go from performing in an area where you probably know a lot of people that come to see you. Now you're on this grand stage. You're performing in all kinds of countries around the world. People are loving what you're doing. Just a completely different atmosphere. How did that feel to make that transition? Well, a completely different. I mean, first of all, Germany was a big market. Holland and Belgium and Belgium.

Germany. They took off before I took off in England and the UK. And I saw I was spending a lot of time touring around Europe, you know, and then suddenly started hitting back in the UK where I live. And that really changed my life. And we moved from a tiny little one-bedroom flat that we lived in and bought a house. It changed our lives, you know. Sure. And that's a great thing. Now, Did you have anyone around you that might have given you suggestions and you look back at them or you think about it and you thought, what are they talking about? Yeah, there were a few ones that, you know,

because I've been in the business for a long time as a nobody. I've heard people saying, oh, do this, I'm not, no, no, done all that. She hasn't worked. These were people that didn't know what they were talking about. So I was very fortunate. I got a good manager, and he's also the manager of Peter Noun. and Hermann's Emmits.

So he got the connections, if you know what I mean. Basically, Harvey, it changed my life. Do you have any special place that you've performed that kind of holds a little something in your heart because of just the interaction or whatever the case may be? It might be just everything went well, a special night, just something that maybe stands out to you. New Zealand.

The first tour I did of New Zealand was an absolute sellout. And it was, I mean, at a beautiful place, of course. And then Australia, of course, that was a place again that I used to do, I used to go to Sydney and do four weeks at a nightclub there for them, you know. It just changed my life. The world opened suddenly. Yeah, I certainly understand that. Now, as you were growing up, you was living in this small little town.

Everybody knew everyone. And then, as you said, the world opened up. What went through your mind as you traveled this world, realizing that you was just this person from a small little town? Well, it meant that we went from living in a little, tiny little flat on the fifth floor, to suddenly buying a house, a four-bedroom house on a lovely estate. It just changed our lives, you know. By this time we've got two children, and it was, you know, absolute matching.

You did another song, I think, for a TV show, correct? Phoenix Mard, you know. Amarillo, yeah. Well, Peter Kaye, I'd met years ago in the nightclubs. you know, on the nightclub circuit. And he used it. He used to use it as his playoff song, was me. His power music, because he was a comedian.

He used my Amarillo as this play on the knot. Wife and I were living in Spain. And suddenly we got this phone call Amaroz that is taking off big time. Can you get back? We're doing a tour. We can put you a tour. And that was basically, I got back to the UK again

and did a long, long tour. And it changed my life again. Kept changing my rights. That's just an awesome journey. And that's the beauty of this music business. We can have something that we've done. It can sit there for a long time. And then all of a sudden it resurfaces

and it brings back and restarts your career all over again. Absolutely. It's changed my life a few times. Yeah, it's unhosed for the better. So, you know, I've been very, very fortunate. Being had great managers, great songs given to me, you know, work with some great producers. So I'm very fortunate.

Yeah, speaking of producers, I understand you're being produced in Nashville. I understand you've produced a new album. What is it? It's all the new life, not a new wife. A new life. Okay. And I'd re-regodded all the old stuff.

Plus, I did two songs that I've been singing on the cabaret circuit for donkeys years. Two songs that the audience used to go crazy about. One was Jezebel, the old hit. I've re-recorded, that's on the new album. And also, Mr. Bojangles. Again, enough, all that I used to sing on live shows, but never recorded. But now, I've recorded them. That's great.

It's always nice to put songs on that you'll really like to do. So how did it feel coming back to Nashville and recording not only your old songs, but laying down some tracks on new versions of other songs as well? It was brilliant. I mean, the thing is that people don't realize it's so quick that the musicians are so good, you know. Yes, I work with them consistently. Nashville has some of the best players in the world. That's guitar plays.

It's good, isn't it? Kent Wells, Dolly Prams, musical direct, too. Yeah, they're some of the best people to work with in the world. Yeah, absolutely. I'd like to gently shift the conversation to something a little more personal, your health. I understand you've been navigating a diagnosis of dementia, which can be incredibly challenging. Could you share a little more about your experiences and, of course, how you're doing? Yeah, four and a half years ago because I was always a crossword fanatic, cryptic crosswords that was my hobby and suddenly started having

problems doing them. And so now I said let's go and see a doctor about it because you started to forget things at the moment. And they did x-rays and all this on my head and they said yeah, you've got the beginnings of

I can't remember the word, dementia. I forgot me, but and that's quite all right so that was it about four years ago and they said you're very very fortunate you're in the music business that's one of the things we recommend people

with it listen to a lot of music and that helps to keep it keep it down so I'm on tablets that they put me on four years ago which is you know stopped it getting worse it not cured it the thing that I mean I'm in music that's helping

I always say that music is a powerful tool, and I'm glad that it's powerful to help you. So does it affect you with your lyrics and singing? I have cue. I have auto cues on stage, but I've had that for 30 years. Because if you got like 40 or 50 songs you're trying to do, you know, you can't remember all lyrics from your albums, you know. So I've always got that auto cues on the stage for me to, for the lyrics.

I totally understand. Back when I was performing, I always had on stage with me what I used to call cheat sheets. Yeah, yeah, and sheesh. I used to have the lights shining down in just a certain way so that I could look down and remember at least most of the words. So I'm totally with you there. Yeah, yeah. I do, because, to me, if you make a mistake,

you're spoiling the show for the audience. So I'd rather have an alter cue. I've got a couple of TV screens on the floor next to me, you know, with the words on. Yeah, you do what you need to do. as long as you're enjoying yourself and the people are enjoying you, that's all that matters. That's true, yeah.

Yeah. You know, you're out there performing, you're having a good time, and people are having a good time that really is all that matters. Yeah. And it's really great that you've got such loyal fans that follow you through thick and thin through it all.

It really is, I mean, I've had followers for 50, 60 years that are still there following me. I owe money, That doesn't matter. It's true. Yeah. Yeah, that's great. So, planning on recording any new music anytime soon?

I am, yeah. I'm always recording, yeah. Next to you. Yeah, we're planning on now here, Nashville. Well, when you come to Nashville, let me know. I'll come down and see you. Well, yes. Yeah, we will do.

Yeah. Sean's got your details. Yeah. We'll slow that. Yeah, Sean, I'm sorry, don't make it. Yeah, I'm just like you. I love being in Nashville. Love working with the greatest musicians out there.

It's just a pleasure to do business there. It's just awesome. Oh, good. We'll go to Ruth's Christ for a stake. Yeah, there you go. Last time we went with Brent Mason. Yeah, that's great. I know, Brent.

Yeah. That wasn't from this session. As you know, we did go. We did go. We still be fair. But we went with Brent and his wife. The last time we were there. Yeah, that's great.

Yeah, a great guy, yeah. And the good thing is they just get great music in that studio. Yes, exactly. Exactly, yes. The best. I mean, the best. And it's what they leave out. Jerry Douglas played some incredible, on some of the past,

there's some incredible guitar. And you'd say, no, let me do that again. And take all this amazing stuff out. And you go, no, because it doesn't serve the song. It's getting in the way of the vocal. That just, it's something that over here, well, it's a different thing. It's a different thing. And over there, it's a, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's,

just in the blood. They know, you know. Yeah, it's something that people don't realize unless they see it actually happening. The first time we recorded at the Found Emporium, we had Toto's bass player. I'm dreadful with names as well. So it was Jeff Vicaro and I can't remember.

His name, the bass player, but anyway, it was just amazing to see he's got a baseball cap sat with his back to the glass. I remember hearing that he was fed to the engineer. I just pluck that into the tape, straight into the tape machine, not through the desk. If you want anyone messing with the sound,

he'd got it going through a lovely tube tech and all this stuff, and he went, just take me straight onto the, put me onto the tape. Yeah, that's great. The musicians are just phenomenal here. So once you got it all done, you put the music together.

Did you actually release the album off that? Yeah, 24. We Still Shine, was the album. Came out last year. We Still Shine. and then we've recorded, then it's a new life. We did both albums in the same visit. Yeah, that's great. So how about touring anything on the books for that?

Sure, I mean. Yeah, tomorrow we're in London. The next night we're in Milton Keynes. We're doing all the press thing and the radio thing and now. And then Friday back home, but we're doing radio interviews, press interviews. And then next week down to London to do TV show, they call Lee Swimming, ITV, and I'm just constantly touring now all the way up to the end of the year

and I've already started putting dates in next year. That's just so great to see him being so active singing. I just love to see my dad sing. I like to see the faces of the audience. Yeah, the audience must be really spread out in age. I bet you're seeing his fans, his kids, his grandkids, such a great group of people that are getting to enjoy his music, all as a family.

Well, we get generations. We get three generations. The grandparents are the kids and the grandkids. And we recently played in Dublin. My dad, actually, this was last year. The album had just come out, We Still Shine. He was looking down on the front row there was like the grandparents, kids and the grandkids. And he did what was a new song of the title track, We Still Shine.

And he looked down and the whole family was singing this song. The album's only been out a couple of weeks. They knew the lyric. He didn't. He didn't. He's got auto-cube, but he's always used it. Well, I'm glad that you're doing well. I'm glad that you're having all the success.

It's just fun to do. It is. You know, I'm very fortunate at my age. I'm still 81 and I'm still working and doing well. The voice is still there. The knees are not as good. all that praying, you see, all that praying. There you go. There you go. That's awesome.

I mean, to be 81 and to be able to go out and do what you love to do. Yeah. Plus, you have all of those memories that you've done. Yeah. I mean, when you look back on it, that's a pretty fulfilling life that you've had. And the best thing is you're still doing it. Which is, I'm thankful. Thank God, I, you know, my voice is still there. Yeah.

It's still as good as it was. That's awesome. If he's there, he was it. Yeah, that's right. Exactly. I mean, if you're healthy, you're enjoying life, you're loving what you do, that's what you need to do. Because once you hit 70, 80, 90 years old and you're still here, you've got a lot of things to reflect upon. I mean, my mother died just four months short of 100. Oh, God.

Really? Yeah. And she used to tell me, I don't have any friends. And I always would tell her, you've got all kinds of friends. but yet she really didn't because she had outlived most all of them. Yeah. So for you to be 81, you look around yourself and you see who's there and who's not, and still be doing what you love to be doing.

Yeah. I think that's just fantastic. It is absolutely. I mean, I'm, thank God that I'm still there. My voice is still there, you know, it's good. And I'm working. Next week. It's his birthday.

24th. 25th. But we're working. Working on this 24th. It's my birthday on the 28th second. 80 second birthday. That's awesome. And I'm still right?

The old saying is if you're doing something that you enjoy, then you're really not working at all. Yeah, yeah. No, no. And I enjoy what I do. Music is a passion. Not only do you get out there to do what you like to do, you get to do it in front of people that love to see what you do.

Yeah, I'm blessed. I'm blessed. I truly enjoy talking about music in the world. their passion for it, especially yours. Yeah. Is there any one song that when you look back at things that just kind of comes to the top, sticks in your mind, even though it might not have been a huge hit for you, it was one of your favorites?

Yeah. Do you remember So Deep is the Night? Yeah, sure do. Chopin's Twistess. That's the song. So deep is the night. And I'd be singing that song from the 60s when I was in a group, Tony Christina Trackers. And that was my big song.

That used to kill the audience. Oh, that's awesome. I bet it's a great memory. well. What I love about what you're doing is you've done it for so many years and you can hear it in your voice that your passion is still there for it. Oh God, yeah. Just, yeah. I've got this great story about that. We worked at awards doing in London and Tom Jones was there and Tom said to dad he said that song so deep as the night he says I wore that thing out. It says I wore the record out playing it so he was one of his favorites. That's awesome. What

a great thing to hear. Yeah. That's another thing we have to bring up. You've been around for so long, and you've been around so many well-known celebrities. It's always nice when the other stars that you know and perform with

make comments that they like your music like they do. It is, absolutely. I'm very fortunate. I've got the good friends in the show business, and they've all been nice. Neil Lieber and Neil Siddharka sent a lovely message just last week after hearing

the new album. Sorry, I'm not going to plug you. But this is true, they sent the most lovely email about the new album and said, and said, thank you, Tony, for giving, is this away for Amarillo, third life?

Because obviously, the first life was what he was first in it, then in 2005, and just hearing it the way it's done now, they loved it. Yeah, yeah. Have you had any opportunities to sing with other stars

that you've known? Because I think that would be something people would love to hear as well. That would be love. We haven't. You did. You stand at the Albert Hall with Siddharth. He sang,

Is this the way, Zadrano with Siddharana. With the Neil Siddharka, yeah. Just piano and the two of them. Piano and that was it. Yeah, that sounds nice. Brilliant. It's stormed. It's absolutely stormed the audience.

That would be great. I've always wanted Dad to sing with Tom Jones. Yeah, that would be an awesome show. And Neil Siddarka would be great. You know, it would be like an old, old-time rap pack thing. Yeah, that'd be great. Yeah, I think you should put that together. I think that would be a show that would be a night to remember for everyone.

Oh, we think so, yeah. That would be a great title as well, wouldn't it, a night to remember? A night to remember, yeah. When you do that, make sure I'm there, because I did come up with the title. Well, we hope you as well to get to Anurano. We want to play the Starlight Ranch. I'd film it, if possible, because we were supposed to do this back in 2019, but then COVID hit. Right.

Yeah. Tourist board invited my dad and my mom and myself in 2005 over to Amarillo, because tourism went through the roof with the tongue, and a lot of the Europeans and English were going over, and it was on Route 66, but they'd go through it, you know, and now they were stopping there. And the mayor meant Mayor Trenchisemoor Jr. the 3rd at the time, he bought my mom and dad a Stetson and cowboy boots and got the key.

A key to Amarillo. And the thing is, because it's a country music town, they didn't really know this song. You know, they knew this song, is it Amarillo in the morning? Is it or early Amarillo? Yes, Amarillo by morning. Morning.

Yeah. But they didn't know is this away to Amarillo, but they do now. But now we're hoping now with this new version, it could be played on radio stations in Amarillo. Yeah, that would be nice. Yeah. And we'll finally get him there.

And we'll do a show called This Is the, way to our own. Yeah. These are great ideas. You definitely need to make this happen. Well, we'll have to keep in touch because maybe you know people. You never know.

I really tell you, this is great ideas. And you know, the bottom line of everything is that the most important thing is that he's healthy and having fun doing it. Well, I think the title of the album could be right, a new life. We're making the absolute best of it.

And dad has always said when he's asked, what is it that you're most proud of? And he always says it hasn't happened yet. Yeah, I love it. That's awesome. Not only that, he has just such a great attitude and a great demeanor about him. He's a gentleman,

and we call him the quiet man family, my sisters. We used to learn one thing in his life. Every year, he'd just suddenly slip out this thing. You go, what? You did that? You know, it's like he just doesn't like talking about himself. or what happened. He wasn't very show busy. He didn't do the showbiz thing. He just got on with his. And he still does. He moved to the Midlands in the UK. And the reason was that he'd got more

chance of getting home every night after touring wherever. Still like that. But now we talk with my mom and sometimes my sister a lot of the time. So it's a family thing. Yeah, I think that's really nice. People are always getting wrapped up in becoming that next big star. But they tend to forget that when it all comes crashing down, the family is still there. And that loss of times is what keeps life moving forward. Yeah. Yeah. Who can you turn to, you know? In this business, unfortunately, as both of you know, there's very few people that you can actually count on. Well, I have to say this has been a most interesting conversation and I've just truly enjoyed talking to the both of you. I really appreciate you taking the time to come on to the show today.

Oh, it's been nice. It's been a pleasure. Yes, it's been my pleasure as well. Thanks again. Thanks for joining us today. We hope you enjoyed the show. This has been a Tony Mantor production. For more information, contact media at plateaumusic.com.