Big Tom

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Big Tom
Big Tom in 2004
Background information
Birth name	Tom McBride
Origin	Ireland
Genre(s)	Country, Irish, Easy Listening
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Guitar, Saxophone
Years active	1966 - present
Associated acts	Big Tom and The Mainliners
Notable instrument(s)
Guitar

Big Tom (born Tom McBride in September 1936) from Oram, 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'

Contents 1 Recent Life 1.1 Other details 2 Hit songs 3 CDs and Videos/DVDs 3.1 CDs 3.2 Videos/DVDs 4 References 5 External links

[edit] 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 in appreciation to his contribution to Country and Irish music.
• 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.Along with all the original mainliners the King of country brought the house down in one of his best performances for many a year.

2009- It is expected that Big Tom along with the Mainliners will undertake another tour of Ireland due to the success of the 08 mini tour.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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

[edit] CDs and Videos/DVDs

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).

[edit] CDs

All of the CD releases contains tracks which were previously released on vinyl except for those marked * (all tracks newly recorded) or ** (some tracks newly recorded), all remain on general availability release except possibly the 20 Golden Greats album as all its tracks have been reissued on latter CDs so it is potentially out of print.
The Greatest Hits album includes two tracks taken from the Live at the Glencarne Hotel video.
It is intended by Big Tom's record company over time to eventually reissue all vinyl tracks on to new CD releases.

Title	Artist credite	Released
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

[edit] 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

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Big Tom's record company