The granddaughter of singer Tony Christie says the pair’s shared love of music has helped the legendary performer in his ongoing struggle with dementia.<\/p>\n
Deia Fitzgerald, 18, visits Christie and his wife Sue almost every day and often spends time with her grandfather listening to music through a smart speaker.<\/p>\n
Christie, from Lichfield, revealed his diagnosis in 2023 and has since been working to raise awareness of the condition, as well as how music can help prompt memories.<\/p>\n
Ms Fitzgerald said Christie regularly forgot about the smart speaker, which the family bought for him shortly after he was diagnosed.<\/p>\n
“Grandad needs reminding that he has one and how he should use it,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s amazing because when he does play music, it jogs his memory. He’ll sing along and start reminiscing about his family.”<\/p>\n
Tony Christie continues to perform despite being diagnosed with dementia in 2023 [BBC]<\/p>\n
Christie, whose real name is Anthony Fitzgerald, often professes his love for singers like Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and Tony Bennett.<\/p>\n
Ms Fitzgerald said she loved modern music but preferred songs from her grandfather’s era and recently got him back into vocal group The Ink Spots.<\/p>\n
“That’s what his dad would listen to and then this sparks a conversation about him,” she said.<\/p>\n
“He’ll also talk about his uncle who loved to sing and who grandad really admired. He said his family would always listen to music together and sing along.”<\/p>\n
Christie became an ambassador of Music for Dementia after he was diagnosed, and he and Ms Fitzgerald recently created a dementia-friendly playlist for the charity’s online radio service m4dRADIO.com.<\/p>\n
Tony Christie, pictured performing in the 1970s, said his voice was as strong as ever [BBC]<\/p>\n
The 82-year-old Amarillo singer told BBC Radio Stoke his grandchildren would often listen to his songs.<\/p>\n
“It’s surprising to me that my grandkids listen to it and they say ‘oh granddad this is great’,” he said. “They love it and I’m proud of it.”<\/p>\n
Christie, who continues to tour and record music, said he tended to “ignore” his condition and that it had little to no effect on his performances.<\/p>\n
“The amazing thing is, I am singing as well as ever,” he said. “I’m 82 years old and my voice has not changed, it’s still there.”<\/p>\n
Ms Fitzgerald agreed and said he had a “powerful voice” which kept getting better with age.<\/p>\n
“It’s heartwarming to see how people react to his music and how they still support him,” she said. “Grandad is really charismatic on stage but when he’s off stage, he’s quieter.<\/p>\n
“He said to me once ‘when I’m on stage, I’m Tony Christie, and when I’m at home, I’m Anthony Fitzgerald.’ I see that.”<\/p>\n
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