Tony Christie has vowed to keep recording and touring until they find a “miracle cure” for dementia or his voice falters.
The 80-year-old singer feared he’d have to stop working when he was diagnosed with the degenerative disease in 2021, however, he was able to make one final album in Nashville with his son Sean and wife Sue there every step of the way.
Tony, who releases the LP ‘We Still Shine’ on February 16, insists music is his medicine and he won’t stop playing live and recording tracks for as long as his voice lasts.
He told Record Collector magazine: “I’ve just stuck at it and ridden the storm, and all the ups and downs. I don’t have a choice other than to keep recording and touring. If you stop, you die. Music is a therapy and a medication for me. So, the more that I work, the better I feel. I’ll keep going until they either find a miracle cure for dementia, or until my voice goes.
I’ll record and tour for as long as I can. As soon as the voice starts to go, I’ll retire gracefully and end on a high.”
The album is his first since 2011’s ‘Now’s the Time!’
The ‘Amarillo’ hitmaker said in a statement: ”I loved every minute of making this record. It’s the first time my wife Sue had joined me on a recording trip to Nashville. My son rented a house that was literally a two-minute walk across the road to Blackbird Recording Studios where we spent three weeks making what I believe to be the best album I’ve ever made, and I really mean it. I’ve just come back from Abbey Road Studios where the album has been mastered and it’s the first time I got to hear the album in its entirety and in sequence. I was so blown away by the sound, It brought me to tears. This album is very special to me and has been in the planning for a good few years.”
Tony was an ambassador for the Music for Dementia campaign in 2023, and he released the charity single, ‘Thank You For Being A Friend’, with music legends Sting and Nile Rodgers, to raise money for the Power of Music Fund.
Tony is touring in 2024. Head to www.tonychristie.com for the full tour dates and tickets.