Local musicians back Tony Christie on BBC

A group of local musicians performed with showbiz star Tony Christie last week, as he sang his most famous song '(Is This The Way To) Amarillo’ live on BBC television.
Athlone showband musician Frankie McDonald was asked to put together a band for Christie’s performance on the 'Nolan Live’ chat show which aired on BBC One Northern Ireland last Wednesday night.
“Tony Christie is a legend. I have been a fan of his for many years, but I never got to meet him before this,” Frankie told the Westmeath Independent.
“We travelled up to the BBC Northern Ireland studios for rehearsals and then played 'Amarillo’ on the show. It was a great experience.”
The popular 'Nolan Live’ show is known for tackling controversial topics. Wednesday’s broadcast featured a discussion on the long-running row over a bakery’s refusal to make a cake with a message supporting gay marriage. The Tony Christie performance came at the end of the show.
In addition to Frankie McDonald, the local musicians involved in the performance included Frankie’s daughter Lorraine, his son Peter, and Athlone’s Desi Egan, who played the keyboard.     
Tony Christie, now aged 73, maintains a busy touring schedule. He has a number of Irish shows lined up for the coming weeks and these will include a performance at the Tullamore Court Hotel on Thursday, November 17.