Big Tom..

Sands1981

My Mam loves him. She always has. I grew up listening to him and a little space in my heart loves him too. He was the first person I ever saw sing live. I went to see him for many years after.

Today was Mothers Day as you know. Me and Mam are separated but she rang me a 100 times in drink playing Big Tom down the phone. I then rang her back with another Big Tom song. And then another one....it makes her happy..

I have had a drink myself.

We all have Mams and Dads who love stuff we love because they love and it keeps us close to them.

Big Tom reminds me of Mam and Margo and Philomena Begley helped me sleep many a night when I was young.

I still play them to this day. A part of my heart will go when Big Tom goes.

My Mam goes back to another place when she hears Big Tom and she is a kind of lost person now. So its bittersweet for me.

Long Live Big Tom.

Jack the Stripper

Big Tom is a legend.

corner of hells

Big Tom was a cat who lived out our back when we were kids.

gammygils

Big Tom is still The King! :pac:

Kermit.de.frog

Who the fcuk is "Big Tom"?

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Who the fcuk is "Big Tom"?

Do ya not have google where you are? (And don't ask "what the fcuk is google?")!

Sands1981

He sure is Jack. There are only two things I want from my Mam when she goes....One is a photo of her and my other Dad with Big Tom, and the other is her Mass Card of Michael Gaughan.

My Mam absolutely loves Big Tom.

My favourite songs of him are Sing Me Back Home. Give My Love to Rose. Old Love Letters, Gentle Mother and Be Careful of Stones that you Throw...And a whole heap of others.

I play a lot of different kinds of music but I always go back to Big Tom at some point in the night. He had a great voice. I will cry when he goes, just like I will cry when Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson go..

I already cried when Merle Haggard, Waylon, Tammy and Johnny went....

My heart will feel very sad when Dear oul' Dolly goes too,

Dolly is a Queen

harney

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Who the fcuk is "Big Tom"?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=who+is+big+tom

Personally, the main shock factor in this thread is that he is apparently still alive!

Jack the Stripper

Sands1981

Ah Harney and Kermit ( sorry I have no idea how to quote your posts in mine...someone tell me how_)

Kermit, I wish you knew who he was, he helped soothe many an emigrants heart back in the day.

Harney, The fact he is still alive is a beautiful thing to the likes of me. I want him to outlive my Mammy.

He was a huge part of my childhood. I still love that big man.

Sands1981

Jack, I lived in Galway for awhile not far from the four country roads. It is a great song. The late late show had Big Tom singing this song with Philomena and Daniel etc coming on at the end. Big Tom was shook though and far from his prime. I went to see him long after he was able....when his band members had to do most of the singing and the big man just done certain numbers.....

He was still worth seeing though. He is an absolute gem. I learned to jive through him. His voice was everything :-)

Sands1981

Thankyou Princess:-)

learn_more

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Who the fcuk is "Big Tom"?

If you know who Kermit the Frog is you should know who Big Tom is.

endacl

Big Tom? He's OK, but he couldn't hold a candle to Medium Tom.

Sands1981

endacl.....To be fair , when someone is a part of everything you can remember, then they can hold a candle towards anything and anything

Big Tom will always mean a lot to many men and women who left this island and found happiness in the dance halls and ballrooms in England.

endacl

Sands1981 wrote: »

endacl.....To be fair , when someone is a part of everything you can remember, then they can hold a candle towards anything and anything

Big Tom will always mean a lot to many men and women who left this island and found happiness in the dance halls and ballrooms in England.

Seriously. Check out Medium Tom.

DanielODonnell

He makes a great wee cup of tea now

Sands1981

Daniel...your username is ironic to me as on my 18th,,,,I was in a dancehall that the real Daniel was singing in. My Mam wrote a request for me on a beermat for him to sing a song for me and he did....I still have the beer mat...

LordSutch

Kermit.de.frog wrote: »

Who the fcuk is "Big Tom"?

Local 'Country & Western' singer from the early 1980s, I think?

Wasn't it Big Tom & the Mainliners?

Sands1981

Lord Sutch...there was nothing about Big Tom that was local...he is quite iconic really.
You are quite right that he was once Big Tom and The Mainliners. then he became Big Tom and The Travellers. I am quite chuffed that you remembered him in some kind of way.......so Thank you for that. Sincerely

Turtyturd

How does she feel about big Harry.....or big Dick?

LordSutch

Sands1981 wrote: »

Lord Sutch...there was nothing about Big Tom that was local...he is quite iconic really.
You are quite right that he was once Big Tom and The Mainliners. then he became Big Tom and The Travellers. I am quite chuffed that you remembered him in some kind of way.......so Thank you for that. Sincerely

I also remember 'Gina Dale Haze & the Champions', or something like that? ...not that I was into to any of that stuff, but I remember the "interesting names" of local, & not so local bands from those years )

Witchie

LordSutch wrote: »

Local 'Country & Western' singer from the early 1980s, I think?

Wasn't it Big Tom & the Mainliners?

Sands1981 wrote: »

Lord Sutch...there was nothing about Big Tom that was local...he is quite iconic really.
You are quite right that he was once Big Tom and The Mainliners. then he became Big Tom and The Travellers. I am quite chuffed that you remembered him in some kind of way.......so Thank you for that. Sincerely

He was around in the 60s and 70s too. My dad was in a band called The Ventures and they used to have to compete with Tom and his crew, also being from county Monaghan. Dad tells a story about how his band and Tom's were playing at dances within a few miles of each other in Tyrone. Tom and his crew left their gig early coz there were only a few people there and came to my dad's gig as it was hopping.

A few months later the same thing was happening but Big Tom had just released "Gentle Mother" and it was a major hit and the Ventures ended up having hardly anyone at their gig.

As for Big Tom himself, he seems a nice craythur any time I have met him but his music and that of all that Irish Country music is the worst atrocitiy to music and makes me want to kill people. But hey, that is just my opinion.

FrancieBrady

Witchie wrote: »

As for Big Tom himself, he seems a nice craythur any time I have met him but his music and that of all that Irish Country music is the worst atrocitiy to music and makes me want to kill people. But hey, that is just my opinion.

The day will come when bringing your children to Big Tom and making them listen to him will be seen as a heinous form of child abuse. Poor souls will be drinking on Sunday nights and all that stuff. Terrible.

Winterlong

I did not like his drug phase when he was 'Big Tom and the Mainliners'.

stimpson

harney wrote: »

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=who+is+big+tom

Personally, the main shock factor in this thread is that he is apparently still alive!

Google image search returned this:

NSFW

He's looking well.

The Backwards Man

There's many's a middle aged housewife the length and breadth of the country that can attest to the fact that the 'Big Tom' moniker refers to more than just his larger than life South Ulster persona. Or so the stories go anyway.

Ralf and Florian

Is this the most awkward record cover of all time?

Witchie

I wonder does that apply to the "member" of fellow Monaghan Country star Gloria's band.....he is known as Big Mickey.

infogiver

Sands1981 wrote: »

My Mam loves him. She always has. I grew up listening to him and a little space in my heart loves him too. He was the first person I ever saw sing live. I went to see him for many years after.

Today was Mothers Day as you know. Me and Mam are separated but she rang me a 100 times in drink playing Big Tom down the phone. I then rang her back with another Big Tom song. And then another one....it makes her happy..

I have had a drink myself.

We all have Mams and Dads who love stuff we love because they love and it keeps us close to them.

Big Tom reminds me of Mam and Margo and Philomena Begley helped me sleep many a night when I was young.

I still play them to this day. A part of my heart will go when Big Tom goes.

My Mam goes back to another place when she hears Big Tom and she is a kind of lost person now. So its bittersweet for me.

Long Live Big Tom.

There's loads of people I know who would give their right arm if their mother was here to ring them playing a bit of "Four Roads" OP, even with a bit of a drink. Sure what harm. God bless you and your mam.

Winterlong

Margo was the real talent in that family.

infogiver

Winterlong wrote: »

Margo was the real talent in that family.

Margo is Daniels sister.

sbsquarepants

Sands1981 wrote: »

He sure is Jack. There are only two things I want from my Mam when she goes....One is a photo of her and my other Dad with Big Tom, and the other is her Mass Card of Michael Gaughan.

You have another Dad?

I only know 1 big tom song. It's a bit shíte in all honesty.
But then I wouldn't really be much of a one for keepin it country:D

Winterlong

infogiver wrote: »

Margo is Daniels sister.

Shhhh, I am trying to start a rumour here.

(Edit - you are right, my mistake)

PhuckHugh

Only roasters listen to Big Tom.

seachto7

Mean is pronounced "main" around Limerick.

Main Tom and the Big Liners.

Noveight

You’re going out the same way we came in.
Makes no difference who you know or where you’ve been.
Makes no difference who you are,
Skid row Joe or super star,
You’re going out the same way you came in.

Agricola

Not a patch on Sunny Knowles

Your Face

I always thought that, back in the day, Big Tom must have seemed like a superstar.

infogiver

Noveight wrote: »

You’re going out the same way we came in.
Makes no difference who you know or where you’ve been.
Makes no difference who you are,
Skid row Joe or super star,
You’re going out the same way you came in.

Its not fancy but its the truth, at least.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I have heard this story a few times. Can anyone here verify it?

Big Tom played some outdoor gig in the States. Don't know where or when.

Hells Angels showed up thinking that Big Tom and the Mainliners would be something they'd like.

Big Tom opens up with Gentle Mother, HA's go ballistic and concert has to be stopped.

Summer wind

"Shall I nea'r see you more gentle mother
In the fields where the wild flowers grow"

My mam used to get me to sing this and They Don't Know by Tracey Ullman for her friends when I was about 8. Always remember everyone singing along with Four Roads To Glenamaddy in my uncles lorry on the way to Mitchelstown:)

stimpson

Noveight wrote: »

You’re going out the same way we came in.
Makes no difference who you know or where you’ve been.
Makes no difference who you are,
Skid row Joe or super star,
You’re going out the same way you came in.

If I die with my face buried in someones vagina then I'll die happy.

cml387

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I have heard this story a few times. Can anyone here verify it?

Big Tom played some outdoor gig in the States. Don't know where or when.

Hells Angels showed up thinking that Big Tom and the Mainliners would be something they'd like.

Big Tom opens up with Gentle Mother, HA's go ballistic and concert has to be stopped.

Not quite. When the HA's heard Gentle Mother they all started to hug each other and sing along.
They stayed until the end and cleaned up after as well.

BuilderPlumber

Big Tom is a good singer and performer with some nice songs. He was among the first Irish singers to do Hank Williams and bluegrass songs. He knew his music and sang songs with sentiment. More singers like him are needed today. Current Irish so-called country music is just talent show/Louis Walsh influenced boyband pop backed with fiddles and steel guitars.

sligojoek

I'm the lowest of the low I'm the sickest of the sick
They let me out the funny farm Just to put me in the nick
Then they let me outta the hole Just to crush me on the dole
I'm the lowest of the low A rockin boppin lunatic

Whack for me daddy I'm a rock'n'roll paddy
Whack for me daddy I'm a rock'n'roll queen
Whack for me daddy I'm a rock'n'roll paddy
Stick another record in the record machine

Here's to Geno, here's to Eddie
Here's to sad songs Big O sings
Here's a letter from Elvis Presley
Big Tom is still the King

I will stalk them in the back seats
I will stalk them in the bars
Rape their women and scare their children
Burn them in their brand new cars