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Big Tom - off to the big gig in the sky

  • 17-04-2018 8:45am
    #1
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 14,870 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    Big Tom - Irish Country Singer has died at 81

    Not my cup of tea, but was quite popular nonetheless.

    http://www.thejournal.ie/big-tom-death-3961868-Apr2018/

    GN4_DAT_7128469.jpg--.jpg

    Having seen some of his story on RTE (Stetsons I think), he appears to have led a great life in the music industry, and has a huge family.


«1

Comments

  • #2
    McMurphy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,365 ✭✭✭✭McMurphy


    Seen him on the late late show a while back, he looked pretty frail then, and unfortunately my initial thoughts turn have been proven right.

    He lived a fairly long and successful life, seems to have been pretty much regarded as legendary by his peers in his particular music industry.

    Rip.


  • #3
    Effects
    Registered Users Posts: 9,761 ✭✭✭Effects


    His music was mediocre. I only say him once though, back in the early nineties. He was playing on the back of a truck in Tobercurry.
    Lovely dude though, as was the rest of his band.


  • #4
    Greybottle
    Registered Users Posts: 969 ✭✭✭Greybottle


    Absolute Gent. R.I.P.

    Not my style of music, my mother was a big fan of him, she often met him working as a barmaid in the 1960's in London, didn't see him for over 30 years and he came up to her one day in Howth harbour and said he recognised her. Seemed to be a very decent skin by all accounts,.


  • #5
    buried
    Registered Users Posts: 9,661 ✭✭✭buried


    R.I.P. Big Tom

    Wasn't a fan myself but my Mam is huge fan. Always upsetting when a music artist you like goes one step beyond but at least you still have the tunes.

    "You have disgraced yourselves again" - W. B. Yeats



  • #6
    super_furry
    Registered Users Posts: 27,320 ✭✭✭✭super_furry


    What'll the Mainliners do now?


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  • #7
    Noveight
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,813 ✭✭✭Noveight


    A gentle giant by all accounts, will be remembered for years to come.


  • #8
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    He pulled a decent pint but I couldn't stand his music. A nice man to chat to in the bar.


  • #9
    Outlaw Pete
    Registered Users Posts: 10,423 ✭✭✭✭Outlaw Pete


    Remember my Dad playing this one in the house a lot when I was a kid and singing it to himself a lot to of course.

    Which I hated, I won't lie.

    RIP.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdUCtKTkOXA


  • #10
    Pelvis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,758 ✭✭✭Pelvis


    Johnny Dogs wrote: »
    Seen him on the late late show a while back, he looked pretty frail then, and unfortunately my initial thoughts turn have been proven right.

    Well done on predicting an octogenarian would die soon. Got the lotto numbers there by any chance?


  • #11
    aziz
    Registered Users Posts: 723 ✭✭✭aziz


    A story I heard years ago that I would love it to be true is that when big Tom got one of his first gigs in New York.
    Tom and his band,the Mainliners were booked to play a huge gig in somewhere like the radio city music hall.
    "Mainlining" is a term for shooting up heroin so the place was jammed with people expecting to see a grateful dead type band,apparently there was a riot when a bunch of guys wearing pale blue suits walked out on stage and started singing "four roads to glenamaddy"


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  • #12
    Beechwoodspark
    Registered Users Posts: 15,279 ✭✭✭✭Beechwoodspark


    Great voice and stage presence. Ruled the airwaves in the 70s country boom. He was the main man with the main liners.

    RIP Big Tom.


  • #13
    freshpopcorn
    Registered Users Posts: 30,149 ✭✭✭✭freshpopcorn


    RIP Big Tom.

    He was meant to have being a nice man.

    I wonder will The Late Late Country music special go ahead?


  • #14
    deandean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,217 ✭✭✭deandean


    R.I.P.
    He's on that road to the churchyard where his mom and daddy lie.


  • #15
    physioman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,239 ✭✭✭physioman


    Met him once. Giant of a man . He couldn't sing but apparently his music had great timing. Caught for tax evasion but generally loved. Could be the biggest funeral up north since Bobby sands.


  • #16
    Trigger Happy
    Registered Users Posts: 6,064 ✭✭✭Trigger Happy


    Four country roads was a bit of a sound track on our local radio for a few years in the 80s.

    RIP Big Tom, he will be walking the 'one country road to the churchyard where my Mum and Daddy lie'


  • #17
    C__MC
    Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭C__MC


    “Your going with out the same way you came in”

    No truer words and a great tune

    RIP


  • #18
    C__MC
    Registered Users Posts: 3,038 ✭✭✭C__MC


    physioman wrote: »
    Met him once. Giant of a man . He couldn't sing but apparently his music had great timing. Caught for tax evasion but generally loved. Could be the biggest funeral up north since Bobby sands.

    Last time I checked Monaghan was part of the republic


  • #19
    GBX
    Registered Users Posts: 11,895 ✭✭✭✭GBX


    Not a country music fan, a very friendly and nice man. RIP


  • #20
    Birneybau
    Registered Users Posts: 10,217 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    Greybottle wrote: »
    Absolute Gent. R.I.P.

    Not my style of music, my mother was a big fan of him, she often met him working as a barmaid in the 1960's in London, didn't see him for over 30 years and he came up to her one day in Howth harbour and said he recognised her. Seemed to be a very decent skin by all accounts,.

    Can't picture Big Tom as a barmaid but I suppose they were different times


  • #21
    Birneybau
    Registered Users Posts: 10,217 ✭✭✭✭Birneybau


    C__MC wrote: »
    “Your going with out the same way you came in”

    No truer words and a great tune

    RIP

    He'll be buried through a vagina?


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  • #22
    physioman
    Registered Users Posts: 1,239 ✭✭✭physioman


    C__MC wrote: »
    Last time I checked Monaghan was part of the republic

    Did I say northern Ireland? North includes all 9 Ulster counties


  • #23
    Standard Toaster
    Registered Users Posts: 10,250 ✭✭✭✭Standard Toaster


    RIP Big Tom.

    I can't believe his mother is still alive.


  • #24
    branie2
    Registered Users Posts: 10,288 ✭✭✭✭branie2


    Four roads to Heaven


  • #25
    JP Liz V1
    Registered Users Posts: 84,825 ✭✭✭✭JP Liz V1


    His wife died recent enough too

    RIP

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYwRXeBdHhs
    https://forumofgames.com/




  • #26
    Greybottle
    Registered Users Posts: 969 ✭✭✭Greybottle


    I alos liked his cameo as Tucker McElroy lead singer of The Good 'Ole Boys and driver of the Winnebago in The Blues Brothers.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdCc-IEKaD0


  • #27
    kneemos
    Registered Users Posts: 20,407 ✭✭✭✭kneemos


    super_furry wrote: »
    What'll the Mainliners do now?


    Wonder who Big Tom is at this stage probably.


  • #28
    blueser
    Registered Users Posts: 10,691 ✭✭✭✭blueser


    Seemingly a decent fella, going by some of the comments on here. I can't stand that whole "Country and Irish" genre, so I'll keep my comments on his music to myself. The local radio station down here will be in mourning for a week.


  • #29
    ELM327
    Registered Users Posts: 21,318 ✭✭✭✭ELM327


    RIP..
    Still got the greatest hits CD in the car. Ain't no man found a way, of beating father time.


  • #30
    Panthro
    Registered Users Posts: 14,683 ✭✭✭✭Panthro


    He put Glenamaddy on the map. Parents were big fans.
    Another fallen giant.
    RIP Big Tom


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  • #31
    dublinman1990
    Registered Users Posts: 8,299 ✭✭✭dublinman1990


    I only heard about this on the 6.1 news earlier. A lot of my many older relatives are big fans of him and his music. They probably be very sad to hear of his passing today. I'm not a big fan of his music though and I never met the man in person to know what he was like. But he has left a great legacy of country music behind him for all of his fans to enjoy throughout his long career. R.I.P. Big Tom.


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