The King is dead - Big Tom McBride
It would be a stretch to say that Tom McBride — Big Tom to his legion of fans — who died aged 81 yesterday morning was uniquely Irish but it is hard to imagine another culture that would have so warmly embraced and cherished him.
In a country music career — three chords and the truth — that spanned more than five decades he celebrated home and family in a way that resonated in rural Ireland. In the early decades of his career, his music acted as an umbilical cord for pre-Ryanair emigrants whose Cricklewood or Dagenham lives kept them away from the wellspring that many clung to no matter how long they lived abroad.
His music was often sentimental, direct, conservative and simple — sometimes carrying a maudlin tinge but it reflected the lives of those who cherished him and his work — a reality acknowledged by his peers who saw him as the unchallenged King of Irish country and western music.
Very few Irish entertainers enjoyed such a long career or brought such happiness to their followers. These were, in any context, considerable achievements. May he rest in peace.
