Tony Christie has expressed fears he is developing dementia, following bouts of forgetfulness on tour and during an appearance on Pointless Celebrities.
The “(Is This the Way To) Amarillo?” singer writes in his new autobiography that the disease runs in his family, but that he has been reluctant to go to a doctor.
“I’ve not yet gone to be tested as, to be honest, I’d rather not know if I have got dementia,” he told The Mirror.
Christie said that he has noticed his fading memory in recent years, and that it has affected his touring.
“It’s got to the point where I have to have the lyrics to all the songs I perform live written on autocue, and most of them I’ve been singing for half a century,” he said.
“I also need to look at the screen to check the names of my bandmates before I introduce them – even though some have played with me for over a decade.”
Christie struggled to write his autobiography, The Song Interpreter, as he had to ask his wife Sue to recall events from his past that he could no longer remember.
Sean Christie, the singer’s son and manager, also told the newspaper that his father has declined quiz show appearances as a result of his memory. He explained that his last quiz show appearance, on a 2015 episode of Pointless Celebrities, went “really badly”.
Christie is best known for tracks including “Avenues and Alleyways” and “I Did What I Did for Maria”. He last topped the charts for seven straight weeks in 2005, with a re-issued version of “(Is This the Way To) Amarillo?” featuring comedian Peter Kay.
