Big Tom


Tom McBride, known as Big Tom, was an Irish country, traditional and easy listening singer, as well as a guitarist, and saxophone player.
With a career spanning over five decades, he started his career in 1966 as the frontman of the Irish showband Big Tom and The Mainliners.

Career

On 1 February 2008, Big Tom began a 12-date tour of Ireland after doctors gave him the all clear. On 25 May, Big Tom performed for the closure night of the Galtymore dance hall in Cricklewood, London. On 27 July, Big Tom was the headline act at London's Irish Festival. On 23 November, Big Tom headlined the Claremorris Dance Festival weekend. In July 2009, K-MAC Records announced more dates in Ireland for Big Tom and the Mainliners which commenced in August. From 14 August to 13 September 2009, Big Tom ran a successful tour of Ireland with large attendances to venues. The highlight was the Glencarn Hotel in Tom's hometown Castleblayney where the concert was packed to capacity. The tour ended in Ennis, Clare, with fans travelling many miles to see Big Tom and the band. Two days after the end of the tour the band's trombone player and vocalist Cyril McKevitt died of a heart attack.
In 2010, Big Tom announced an extensive series of tour dates. From 2011 until his death in 2018, Big Tom and his band continued to perform with sporadic appearances.

Personal life

Big Tom suffered from a fear of flying. In 1980, he undertook a sea voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to record his Blue Wings album in Nashville.
In 2000, Big Tom underwent a nodule operation on his throat. In November 2006, Big Tom suffered a sudden heart attack at the age of 70, which had put doubt into whether he would ever tour again with his band. on 24 March 2008, Big Tom performed at Castlebar's TF Ballroom's final farewell night but he was reported to have taken ill on stage during the performance.
In September 2004, Big Tom was reported to have been in a list of Irish tax evaders.
Big Tom was married to his wife Rose McBride until her death in January 2018.

Hit songs

Big Tom had numerous Top 10 hits in the Irish Singles Chart:
TitlePosition reachedEntry dateArtist credited
Gentle Mother730 January 1967Big Tom and The Mainliners
Old Log Cabin for Sale421 October 1967Big Tom and The Mainliners
The Sunset Years of Life323 July 1970Big Tom and The Mainliners
Broken Marriage Vows119 February 1972Big Tom and The Mainliners
I Love You Still14 January 1973Big Tom and The Mainliners
Old Love Letters116 May 1974Big Tom and The Mainliners
Four Country Roads516 May 1981Big Tom
Streets of Dublin City715 November 1981Big Tom
If I Needed You1018 March 1984Big Tom
Jealous Heart97 April 1984Big Tom

Discography

Vinyl albums

Prior to 1990 all of Big Tom's audio music releases were on vinyl record and are now out of print. Since 1990 the release format became CD.
TitleArtist creditedYearRecord LabelIssue Code
The All Time Hits ofBig Tom and The MainlinersEmeraldGES1051
Little Bit of Country and IrishBig Tom and The Mainliners1969EmeraldGES1076
From IrelandBig Tom and The Mainliners1970EmeraldGES1077
I'll Settle For Old IrelandBig Tom and The Mainliners1971EmeraldGES1102
Requests!Big Tom and The Mainliners1972DenverDEB102
Image of MeBig Tom and The MainlinersDenverDNV 2
Ashes of LoveBig Tom and The MainlinersDenverDNV 3
Smoke Along The TrackBig Tom and The MainlinersDenverDNV 4
SouvenirsBig Tom and The Mainliners1975DenverDNV 5
When The Roses Bloom AgainBig Tom & The Travellers1975DenverDNV 6
Travel OnBig Tom & The Travellers1977DenverDNV 7
I Would Like To See You AgainBig Tom & The Travellers1978DenverDNV 8
At The Irish FestivalBig Tom & The Travellers1979DenverDNV 9
Blue WingsBig Tom1980DenverDNV 10
Four Country RoadsBig Tom & The Travellers1981DenverDNV 11
Songs From Home and FarawayBig Tom & The Travellers1982DenverDNV 12
Big Tom & The TravellersDenverDNV 14
Teardrops in the SnowBig Tom & The Travellers1985DenverDNV 15
Around IrelandBig Tom & The Travellers1986DenverDNV 16

Compilation vinyl albums

TitleArtist creditedYearRecord labelIssue code
Favourites1980K-TelKLP55
The Heart of Country MusicDenver
King of Country Music – Volume 1Big Tom1977DenverBT1
King of Country Music – Volume 2Big TomDenver
King of Country Music – Volume 3Big TomDenver
King of Country Music – Volume 4Big TomDenver
King of Country Music – Volume 5Big TomDenver
King of Country Music – Volume 6Big TomDenver
Hits by the DozenDenverDEB105

CD albums

The CD releases typically contain tracks which were previously issued on vinyl, however those marked * consist all tracks newly recorded and those marked ** consist of some tracks newly recorded. The 20 Golden Greats CD may be discontinued as all tracks have been reissued on latter CDs.
The Greatest Hits CD includes two tracks taken from the Live at the Glencarn Hotel video. The Live at The Galtymore CD is solely the soundtrack from the video of same name recorded in 1991.
It is intended by Big Tom's record company to reissue all vinyl tracks on to CD releases.
TitleArtist creditedYear
Today **Big Tom and The Mainlinersc.1990
Greatest hitsBig Tom and The Mainlinersc.1991
20 Golden GreatsBig Tom and The Mainliners1992
Out on Their Own *Big Tom and The Mainliners1993
The Sweetest Gift *Big Tom and The Mainliners1995
Songs I Like To SingBig Tomc.1996
25 Golden GreatsBig Tom1996
SouvenirsBig Tomc.1998
Blue Wings Big Tomc.1999
The Irish CollectionBig Tom1999
The Very Best of Irish CountryBig Tom1999
Smoke Along The TrackBig Tomc.2000
When The Roses Bloom AgainBig Tom2002
The Same Way You Came In **Big Tom with Seamus McMahon2005
Teardrops in the SnowBig TomApril 2007
Around Ireland **Big TomMarch 2008
Ashes of LoveBig Tom and The MainlinersAugust 2009
Four Country RoadsBig Tom and The TravellersAugust 2009
The Image of MeBig Tom and The MainlinersAugust 2009
RequestsBig Tom and The MainlinersAugust 2009
Live at The GaltymoreBig Tom and The MainlinersJune 2010
I am an Island *Big Tom and The MainlinersNovember 2010
Songs From Home & FarawayBig TomOctober 2011
Travel OnBig Tom and The TravellersOctober 2012
Lonesome at Your TableBig Tom and the MainlinersApril 2013
The Ultimate Collection vol.1
Big Tom
Due April 2014

Tom also recorded a duet track in 2009 with Frank Nelson: Treasured Memories which is featured on Frank's album of the same name.

Videos/DVDs

On 8 July 2005, a plaque was erected by the local community in Big Tom's home village of Castleblayney, County Monaghan.
In early 2016, Big Tom and the original Mainliners went on tour to mark 50 years since the release of their most enduring hit "Gentle Mother". From May until September, Big Tom and the Mainliners continued their summer tour to celebrate 50 years of "Gentle Mother"
In June 2016, Big Tom became the inaugural artist to be inducted into the Irish Country Music Hall of Fame.
Susan McCann had a hit in 1977 with her recording of Big Tom Is Still The King, referring to Waylon Jennings song Bob Wills Is Still the King.