Big Tom
Big Tom | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Big Tom in 2004 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tom McBride |
| Born | 18 September 1936 |
| Origin | Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan, Ireland |
| Genres | Country, Irish, Easy Listening |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar, Saxophone |
| Years active | 1966 - present |
Tom McBride better known as Big Tom (born 18 September 1936 in Moy, Drumakill, Castleblayney, County Monaghan, Ireland) is an Irish country music singer, guitarist, and saxophone player. Established since 1966 he is currently front man of the Irish showband Big Tom and The Mainliners. He is affectionally known as 'Ireland's king of country music'
Recent Life
- 2000 - Big Tom underwent a nodule operation on his throat.
- September, 2004 - Big Tom was reported to have been in a list of Irish tax evaders.[1]
- 8 July 2005 - A plaque [2] was erected by the local community in Big Tom's home village.
- November, 2006 - Big Tom suffered a sudden heart attack at the age of 70,[3] this had put doubt into whether he would ever tour again with his band.
- 1 February 2008 - Big Tom began a 12 date tour of Ireland [4] after doctors gave him the all clear.
- 24 March 2008 - Big Tom performed at Castlebar's TF Ballroom's final farewell night (in its current guise) but he was reported to have taken ill on stage[5] during the performance.
- 25 May 2008 - Big Tom performed for the closure night of the Galtymore dance hall in Cricklewood, London.[6]
- 27 July 2008 - Big Tom was headline act at London's Irish Festival.[7]
- 23 November 2008 - Big Tom headlined the Claremorris dance festival weekend.
- July 2009 - K-MAC Records announce more dates in Ireland for Big Tom and the Mainliners which commence August 2009.
- 14 Aug to 13 Sept 2009 - Successful tour of Ireland with large attendances to venues. The highlight being the Glencarn Hotel in Tom's home town Castleblayney where the concert was packed to capacity. The tour ended in Ennis with fans traveling many miles to see Tom and the band. Two days after the end of the tour the band's Trombone player and vocalist Cyril McKevitt died of a heart attack.
- 8 November 2009- Big Tom will be back in Claremorris to headline the Michael Cummins Dance weekend.
- 2010 Big TOM announces an extensive series of tour dates
- 2011 Tom and the band continue to perform with sporadic appearances.
Other details
Big Tom suffers from a fear of flying, in 1980 he undertook a sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to record his Blue Wings album in Nashville.
Hit songs
Big Tom has hit the Top Ten numerous times in the pop charts of Ireland[8] :
| Title and Position reached | Entry Date | Artist credited | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gentle Mother | 7 | 30.01.1967 | Big Tom and The Mainliners |
| Old Log Cabin for Sale | 4 | 21.10.1967 | |
| The Sunset Years of Life | 3 | 23.07.1970 | |
| Broken Marriage Vows | 1 | 19.02.1972 | |
| I Love You Still | 1 | 04.01.1973 | |
| Old Love Letters | 1 | 16.05.1974 | |
| Four Country Roads | 5 | 16.05.1981 | Big Tom |
| Streets of Dublin City | 7 | 15.11.1981 | |
| If I Needed You | 10 | 18.03.1984 | |
| Jealous Heart | 9 | 07.04.1984 | |
Discography
Vinyl Albums
Prior to 1990 all of Big Tom's audio music releases (over 20 albums) were on vinyl record (or cassette) and are now out-of-print. Since 1990 the release format became CD (or cassette).
 |
| Title | Artist credited | Year | Record Label | Issue Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The All Time Hits of | Big Tom and The Mainliners | Emerald | GES1051 | |
| Little Bit of Country and Irish | 1969 | GES1076 | ||
| From Ireland | 1970 | GES1077 | ||
| I'll Settle For Old Ireland | 1971 | GES1102 | ||
| Requests! | 1972 | Denver | DEB102 | |
| Image of Me | DNV 2 | |||
| Ashes of Love | DNV 3 | |||
| Smoke Along The Track | DNV 4 | |||
| Souvenirs | 1975 | DNV 5 | ||
| When The Roses Bloom Again | Big Tom & The Travellers | 1975 | DNV 6 | |
| Travel On | 1977 | DNV 7 | ||
| I Would Like To See You Again | 1978 | DNV 8 | ||
| At The Irish Festival | 1979 | DNV 9 | ||
| Blue Wings | Big Tom | 1980 | DNV 10 | |
| Four Country Roads | Big Tom & The Travellers | 1981 | DNV 11 | |
| Songs From Home and Faraway | 1982 | DNV 12 | ||
| DNV 14 | ||||
| Teardrops In The Snow | 1985 | DNV 15 | ||
| Around Ireland | 1986 | DNV 16 |
Compilation Vinyl Albums
|
| Title | Artist credited | Year | Record Label | Issue Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favourites | 1980 | K-Tel | KLP55 | |
| The Heart of Country Music | Denver | |||
| King of Country Music - Volume 1 | ||||
| King of Country Music - Volume 2 | ||||
| King of Country Music - Volume 3 | ||||
| King of Country Music - Volume 4 | ||||
| King of Country Music - Volume 5 | ||||
| King of Country Music - Volume 6 | ||||
| Hits By The Dozen | DEB105 |
CD Albums
The CD releases typically contain tracks which were previously issued on vinyl, however those marked * consist all tracks newly recorded and those marked ** consist of some tracks newly recorded. The 20 Golden Greats CD may be discontinued as all tracks have been reissued on latter CDs.
The Greatest Hits CD includes two tracks taken from the Live at the Glencarn Hotel video. The Live at The Galtymore CD is solely the soundtrack from the video of same name recorded in 1991.
It is intended by Big Tom's record company to reissue all vinyl tracks on to CD releases.
| Title | Artist credited | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Today ** | Big Tom and The Mainliners | c.1990 |
| Greatest Hits | c.1991 | |
| 20 Golden Greats | 1992 | |
| Out On Their Own * | 1993 | |
| The Sweetest Gift * | 1995 | |
| Songs I Like To Sing | Big Tom | c.1996 |
| 25 Golden Greats | 1996 | |
| Souvenirs | c.1998 | |
| Blue Wings (In Nashville) | c.1999 | |
| The Irish Collection | 1999 | |
| The Very Best Of Irish Country | 1999 | |
| Smoke Along The Track | c.2000 | |
| When The Roses Bloom Again | 2002 | |
| The Same Way You Came In ** | Big Tom with Seamus McMahon | 2005 |
| Teardrops In The Snow | Big Tom | April 2007 |
| Around Ireland ** | March 2008 | |
| Ashes of Love | Big Tom and The Mainliners | August 2009 |
| Four Country Roads | Big Tom and The Travellers | August 2009 |
| The Image of Me | Big Tom and The Mainliners | August 2009 |
| Requests | August 2009 | |
| Live at The Galtymore | June 2010 | |
| I am an Island * | November 2010 | |
| Songs From Home & Faraway | Big Tom | October 2011 |
Tom has also recorded a duet track in 2009 with Frank Nelson[9]: Treasured Memories which is featured on Frank's album of the same name.
Videos/DVDs
- Live at the Glencarn Hotel, Castleblayney
- Live at the Galtymore, London
- In Concert at the Ardhowen Theatre, Enniskillen
- The Sweetest Gift
- The Very Best of (Compilation)
- Back to Castleblayney, Live
- Galtymore 2004, Live
- Live in Birmingham and Manchester
- Live In Castlebar 2008 (featuring The London Irish Festival)
References
- ^ Singer Big Tom among tax dodgers in €30m settlements - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie
- ^ K-MAC Records
- ^ BreakingNews.ie - 2006/11/14: Big Tom recovering well after heart surgery
- ^ The Royal Theatre, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, Ireland
- ^ The Mayo News - Big Tom takes ill
- ^ The Irish World : news : (Irish News)
- ^ London Irish Festival - Music Acts
- ^ The Irish Charts - All there is to know
- ^ Big Tom report in the Mayo News