Tony Goodacre

TONY GOODACRE

BIOGRAPHY AND MUSICAL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

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1938 Born Leeds, England on 3rd February. Has lived in Leeds most of his life apart from Tadcaster (1963-1964), Whitley Bay (1964-1965) and Skelton in Cleveland (1965-1969)

1948 First stage appearance at Moor Allerton Memorial Hall, Leeds, in a play about Robin Hood, playing the part of Little John.

1954 Bought first guitar. Took lessons from Len Lewis at Kitchens of Leeds, playing mainly classical and Spanish style. Preferred to learn chords and sing Burl Ives songs.

1956 Helped form The Tigers Skiffle Group whilst serving in the Royal Air Force at Bawdsey in Suffolk. After working local pubs like the Swan Inn and The Crown in Alderton, and the Ferry Boat Inn in Felixstowe Ferry, bookings were obtained at the Sergeant's Mess at the local U.S.A.F. bases at Woodbridge and Bentwaters. It was the American servicemen here who lent Tony and the band recordings by country artistes like Hank Snow, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams. Soon many country songs were included in the repertoire of the Tigers Skiffle Group. Tony's first solo professional engagement, booked to sing 'Country & Western' music rather than just skiffle was at the Cavendish Hotel in Felixstowe in September 1956 - and he's been singing country music ever since!!

1957 Thanks to the recommendation of Tom Lewis, landlord of the Swan Inn (and a former theatre manager in Llandudno, The Tigers were booked to appear at the Ipswich Hippodrome on the famous Carol Levis Discoveries Show. Two full coachloads of support from R.A.F. Bawdsey ensured that the 'clapometer' went off the edge of the dial, and it was no surprise to those present that the group were declared winners on the night. As a direct result of this success, the manager of the Ritz Cinema in Ipswich booked the Tigers for a full 6 days of appearances in order to advertise the film of The Tommy Steele Story which was due to be shown the following week. The group did a short 20 minute show, sandwiched between the two films being shown - 2 'X' rated films 'Quatermass II' and Bridget Bardot in 'And Woman Was Created' ……..and the band never did see either film all the way through, as they had to get the last connecting bus from Ipswich to Felixstowe, Felixstowe to the Ferry, and then the last ferry to R.A.F. Bawdsey. It's tough at the top in showbusiness…and even tougher at the bottom!

1958 Tony was posted to R.A.F. Christmas Island for the H-bomb and atom bomb tests. He soon became involved in the entertainment group which toured all parts of the island, featuring a 10 piece showband, a comedian, and two army sergeants who did a wonderful mime act to Stan Freberg records. He became known as 'Ginger and his Guitar' and he was advertised in the locally produced newspaper as being 'DIRECT FROM HIS FANTASTIC SUCCESS AT THE OFFICERS' MESS BARBECUE'. (after all, this was probably THE prestige event of the year!) Whilst on leave in Hawaii, Tony entered and won a talent contest where he was staying at the American Armed Forces Y.M.C.A. in downtown Honolulu. Here he befriended another great country music lover, who introduced Tony to the hits of his favourite artiste, Hank Thompson.

1959 Demob from the R.A.F. after 3 years service, and after a few Charity shows, Tony began his career in Yorkshire Clubland. Auditions at the old Trades Hall in Upper Fountain Street, and Jim Windsor's Club in Vicar Lane, regular talent spotting venues for clubs' Entertainment Secretaries soon led to dozens of bookings. As a matter of record, Tony's first paid engagement in clubland was at the Fforde Greene in Leeds, along with an Irish tenor. 2 x 20 minute spots each was all that was required. Tony's fee was 25 shillings, the going rate at the time.

1960 Now known as 'Tony and his Guitar', Tony was booked on average 3 or 4 nights a week, mainly in West Yorkshire, at the same time holding down day time jobs in selling and sales management.

1962 Booked as cabaret act with 'The Bertini Band' at the Scotch Corner Hotel Dinner Dance, a regular booking throughout the 1960's. Guitarist with the Bertini Band was Arthur Layfield, with whom Tony teamed up in 1965 as a country music duo, later to form the band Goodacre Country.

1967 Named by the late Ernie Brunning, organiser and founder of the North East's first country music club at the Londonderry Inn in Sunderland, Tony, Arthur, drummer Ted Kirtlan and bass player John Brown were the founder members of Goodacre Country.

1968 Tony became a founder member of The Bunkhouse C.M.Club, the first country music club in Tees- side. Terry (Doc) Bowes, who's idea it was to form the club, was a little surprised to find Tony dressed to sing in his formal dinner suit, which apart from a 'Maverick' tie, was his usual stage wear at that time.

1969 Returning to live in Leeds from the North East, Tony and Goodacre Country soon became well established on the fast expanding country music club scene. Along with Dez Craze and the Country Craze and Mary Angel and Wild Cactus, Goodacre Country was one of the original acts to help establish the Mike and Margaret Storey country music agency.

1971 Goodacre Country, (consisting of Tony, Arthur Layfield on Hawaiian steel guitar, Ted Kirtlan on drums and York based Graham Metcalf on bass and harmony vocals (replacing Stan Speight who had been with Tony for nearly two years), made their first tour of country music clubs in the South of England. Venues included the Ponderosa at North Boarhunt, Bernie Clapton's original club at The Merryhills, Oakwood in North London, and Tom Whelan's club in Fulham, as well as venues on the Griffin circuit, like the Nashville Rooms.

1973 Tony entered and won the Record Mirror Award as Britain's Top Solo Country Act. His award, presented on stage at the Empire Pool, Wembley as part of the annual country music festival held over the Easter weekend each year, consisted of a cheque, a 12-string guitar, and a framed certificate. Tony made his first visit to Nashville. Whilst on tour, he appeared as a guest of George Hamilton IV on the Arthur Smith TV Show, broadcast from Charlotte, North Carolina and seen on coast to coast television throughout America.

1974 'Roaming 'Round in Nashville', Tony first album on the Outlet label is recorded and released. For full details of subsequent releases, click on the 'Albums and Videos' heading on the homepage. In the calendar year 1st January until 31st December, Tony completes no less than 354 evening bookings, plus about 20 Sunday lunchtime shows in the Yorkshire Workingmens' clubs. Just 11 nights off in the whole year helps establish Tony as the busiest and one of the best known country music singers in Britain. The first of many club awards as Favourite Artiste are gained by Tony at the Brighton C.M.Club and the Wildwood South C.M.Club in Southampton, sussesses repeated the following year. Radio station D.J.'s forever mention his name on the various 'what's on' section of their programmes giving him the name 'Britain's Mr Country Music'.

1977 Tony returns to America, and makes his debut, singing on stage at the world famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for the first time on Saturday 14th May, 1977. Appearing on both the afternoon and evening shows (on the segment sponsored by Beech Nut Chewing Tobacco), Tony was then invited by Charlie Walker to appear on the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, also broadcast throughout America on WSM Radio.

1978 More bookings for Tony in various parts of America including Hudson, Ohio, Baltimore, Wellsburg, West Virginia, and WWVA Wheeling Jamboree, also in West Virginia, where Tony starred along with Freddie Fender. Back to Nashville to record tracks for his album 'Mr Country Music', with backing from many of Nashville's best known musicians.

1981 Voted for by members of the British Country Music Association, Tony wins the B.C.M.A. award as Britain's Best Male Soloist, an award he was also to win in both 1982 and 1983. The first of 14 consecutive appearances at The Floralia Country Music Festival in Oosterhout, Holland, still one of Europe's leading country music events.

1982/3/4 More bookings at other leading festivals in Holland, and also in Switzerland add to Tony's increasing popularity in Europe.

1985/6 Both years, voted by readers of the Dutch based magazine 'Country Gazette' as Europe's most popular solo male vocalist in country music.

1988 Along with his wife, Sylvia, Tony sets off on a 3 month 'Round the World' tour which sees many highlights. Tony becomes the first British based act to be featured on major shows at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in Australia, as a guest of Ray Kernaghan, having previously started the Australian leg of his tour with Ray at his own festival in Corowa, near Albury, N.S.W. (Ray's son, Lee Kernaghan, now one of the top Australian stars in country music backed Tony on keyboard on this show). To mark Australia's Bi-Centennial celebration, Tony represented Britain at a special show in Parramatta, near Sydney, in front of an audience of 35,000 people. After 4 weeks of shows in New Zealand, and a two week holiday in Hawaii, Tony spent three weeks in America, where he once again sang on the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, and also did his first show in Texas at the Grapevine Opry near Dallas/Fort Worth.

1990 Another 7 week tour of Australia, with headline bookings at the Parkes Country Music Jamboree in New South Wales, and the Mildura Festival in Victoria. First appearances in Tasmania

1994 Tony is invited by Paul Wheater to co-star with him as narrator for the official Jim Reeves Tribute Show 'I Won't Forget You', beginning a 30 month run of theatre shows throughout Britain. The 30th Anniversary of Jim Reeves' death is marked by a special show at the London Palladium on 31st July 1994. In the audience that night, having flown in from Texas with his family was Ray Winkler, writer of 'Welcome To My World, as well as George Hamilton IV, his wife Tink, and members of the cast of the Patsy Cline Tribute Show, which was playing in London at the time.

1995 Back to Australia again, with debut appearances in the Brisbane and Gold Coast areas of Queensland.

1996 Tony's 40th anniversary year of singing country music is marked by major features in all Britain's leading country music publications. A double cassette and C.D. album with 21 newly recorded songs is released to great acclaim.

1997 Tony returns to the Floralia Festival in Holland with a six-piece band, for his 15th appearance. A new video ‘The Tony Goodacre Story’ is released, another 3 hours of great entertainment which includes a recording of the actual broadcast when Tony made his Grand Ole Opry debut appearance in Nashville in May 1977.

2000 Release of 3 C.D.’s. ‘Tony Goodacre Sings the Songs of Geoff Ashford’, ‘Favourite Tracks from the 1970’s’ and ‘Favourite Tracks from the 1980’s

2001 The long-awaited new C.D. and cassette with guitarist Steve Isherwood ‘The Millennium Project is completed.

2002 Another new ‘compilation’ C.D. ‘More Favourite Tracks’ is released.

2003 New Video ‘From A to Z’ is released, covering shows, scenery & wildlife filmed during the 2002 tour of Australia, & New Zealand, a Malaysia stopover, as well as the 2001 trip to Arizona, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Work starts on a new album with Steve Isherwood. Many Country Music Festival appearance throughout Britain including Pakefield, Tenby, Debenham, Kings Lynn, Kilmaurs Scotland, Presthaven and many more. After 30 years living in the same house in Leeds, Tony & Sylvia move to Redcar

2004 ‘Snow Covered’ another C.D. produced by Tony’s guitarist Steve Isherwood is released.

2005 To mark the 25 year anniversary of setting up Sylvantone Records, Sylvantone Promotions and Sylvantone Music, Tony releases 3 C.D.’s Volume 1 all the songs recorded by Jeannie for Sylvantone, Volume 3 all Stu Page tracks, and Volume 3, 25 songs, both old and new Recorded byTony, Geoff Ashford and several guest artistes. Tony is invited once again to appear at the Floralia Festival in Holland, to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Tony also begins to plan for his 50th year of singing country music, which he completes in September 2006.

2006 To mark the completion of fifty years as a country music singer, Tony achieved another first in Britain by releasing a 12 CD box set, comprising on CD, 12 of the vinyl and cassette albums he released between 1974 and 1989. The set comes complete with an 88 page Souvenir Book, which includes nearly 200 photographs.
In September he was joined by his good friend of over 35 years, Grand Ole Opry star George Hamilton IV, who also celebrated his 50th year as a singer in 2006, on a hugely successful '100 Years in Country Music' nationwide concert tour, taking in 28 different venues in 28 days.

2007 Plans already in an advanced stage for a further nationwide tour with George Hamilton IV. This time, billed as the 'Together Again' tour, there is also the option of dates with Tony's 4 piece band, as an alternative to the two man show. Further DVD releases from earlier videos are also planned.
From the thousands of votes cast on the internetcountryshow.com website, Tony was the recipient of the first ever LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in British country music. From an initial shortlist of 18 names, all who had been pioneers of the scene in Britain for at least 25 years, (and many, like Tony, much longer), Tony was declared the winner by a majority of well over 600 votes.
The beautiful award, a sold glass engraved crystal globe on a hand shaped stand, was presented to him by David Allan on stage at the Lakeside Leisure Club, Frimley Green in Surrey on February 4th as part of the UK Radio Awards show, in front of a capacity crowd of over 1,000 people.

HOME : BIOGRAPHY : MUSIC : ORDER : BOOKINGS : FAMILY : FAN CLUB

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1938	Born Leeds, England on 3rd February. Has lived in Leeds most of his life apart from Tadcaster (1963-1964), Whitley Bay (1964-1965) and Skelton in Cleveland (1965-1969)
1948	First stage appearance at Moor Allerton Memorial Hall, Leeds, in a play about Robin Hood, playing the part of Little John.
1954	Bought first guitar. Took lessons from Len Lewis at Kitchens of Leeds, playing mainly classical and Spanish style. Preferred to learn chords and sing Burl Ives songs.
1956	Helped form The Tigers Skiffle Group whilst serving in the Royal Air Force at Bawdsey in Suffolk. After working local pubs like the Swan Inn and The Crown in Alderton, and the Ferry Boat Inn in Felixstowe Ferry, bookings were obtained at the Sergeant's Mess at the local U.S.A.F. bases at Woodbridge and Bentwaters. It was the American servicemen here who lent Tony and the band recordings by country artistes like Hank Snow, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams. Soon many country songs were included in the repertoire of the Tigers Skiffle Group. Tony's first solo professional engagement, booked to sing 'Country & Western' music rather than just skiffle was at the Cavendish Hotel in Felixstowe in September 1956 - and he's been singing country music ever since!!
1957	Thanks to the recommendation of Tom Lewis, landlord of the Swan Inn (and a former theatre manager in Llandudno, The Tigers were booked to appear at the Ipswich Hippodrome on the famous Carol Levis Discoveries Show. Two full coachloads of support from R.A.F. Bawdsey ensured that the 'clapometer' went off the edge of the dial, and it was no surprise to those present that the group were declared winners on the night. As a direct result of this success, the manager of the Ritz Cinema in Ipswich booked the Tigers for a full 6 days of appearances in order to advertise the film of The Tommy Steele Story which was due to be shown the following week. The group did a short 20 minute show, sandwiched between the two films being shown - 2 'X' rated films 'Quatermass II' and Bridget Bardot in 'And Woman Was Created' ……..and the band never did see either film all the way through, as they had to get the last connecting bus from Ipswich to Felixstowe, Felixstowe to the Ferry, and then the last ferry to R.A.F. Bawdsey. It's tough at the top in showbusiness…and even tougher at the bottom!
1958	Tony was posted to R.A.F. Christmas Island for the H-bomb and atom bomb tests. He soon became involved in the entertainment group which toured all parts of the island, featuring a 10 piece showband, a comedian, and two army sergeants who did a wonderful mime act to Stan Freberg records. He became known as 'Ginger and his Guitar' and he was advertised in the locally produced newspaper as being 'DIRECT FROM HIS FANTASTIC SUCCESS AT THE OFFICERS' MESS BARBECUE'. (after all, this was probably THE prestige event of the year!) Whilst on leave in Hawaii, Tony entered and won a talent contest where he was staying at the American Armed Forces Y.M.C.A. in downtown Honolulu. Here he befriended another great country music lover, who introduced Tony to the hits of his favourite artiste, Hank Thompson.
1959	Demob from the R.A.F. after 3 years service, and after a few Charity shows, Tony began his career in Yorkshire Clubland. Auditions at the old Trades Hall in Upper Fountain Street, and Jim Windsor's Club in Vicar Lane, regular talent spotting venues for clubs' Entertainment Secretaries soon led to dozens of bookings. As a matter of record, Tony's first paid engagement in clubland was at the Fforde Greene in Leeds, along with an Irish tenor. 2 x 20 minute spots each was all that was required. Tony's fee was 25 shillings, the going rate at the time.
1960	Now known as 'Tony and his Guitar', Tony was booked on average 3 or 4 nights a week, mainly in West Yorkshire, at the same time holding down day time jobs in selling and sales management.
1962	Booked as cabaret act with 'The Bertini Band' at the Scotch Corner Hotel Dinner Dance, a regular booking throughout the 1960's. Guitarist with the Bertini Band was Arthur Layfield, with whom Tony teamed up in 1965 as a country music duo, later to form the band Goodacre Country.
1967	Named by the late Ernie Brunning, organiser and founder of the North East's first country music club at the Londonderry Inn in Sunderland, Tony, Arthur, drummer Ted Kirtlan and bass player John Brown were the founder members of Goodacre Country.
1968	Tony became a founder member of The Bunkhouse C.M.Club, the first country music club in Tees- side. Terry (Doc) Bowes, who's idea it was to form the club, was a little surprised to find Tony dressed to sing in his formal dinner suit, which apart from a 'Maverick' tie, was his usual stage wear at that time.
1969	Returning to live in Leeds from the North East, Tony and Goodacre Country soon became well established on the fast expanding country music club scene. Along with Dez Craze and the Country Craze and Mary Angel and Wild Cactus, Goodacre Country was one of the original acts to help establish the Mike and Margaret Storey country music agency.
1971	Goodacre Country, (consisting of Tony, Arthur Layfield on Hawaiian steel guitar, Ted Kirtlan on drums and York based Graham Metcalf on bass and harmony vocals (replacing Stan Speight who had been with Tony for nearly two years), made their first tour of country music clubs in the South of England. Venues included the Ponderosa at North Boarhunt, Bernie Clapton's original club at The Merryhills, Oakwood in North London, and Tom Whelan's club in Fulham, as well as venues on the Griffin circuit, like the Nashville Rooms.
1973	Tony entered and won the Record Mirror Award as Britain's Top Solo Country Act. His award, presented on stage at the Empire Pool, Wembley as part of the annual country music festival held over the Easter weekend each year, consisted of a cheque, a 12-string guitar, and a framed certificate. Tony made his first visit to Nashville. Whilst on tour, he appeared as a guest of George Hamilton IV on the Arthur Smith TV Show, broadcast from Charlotte, North Carolina and seen on coast to coast television throughout America.
1974	'Roaming 'Round in Nashville', Tony first album on the Outlet label is recorded and released. For full details of subsequent releases, click on the 'Albums and Videos' heading on the homepage. In the calendar year 1st January until 31st December, Tony completes no less than 354 evening bookings, plus about 20 Sunday lunchtime shows in the Yorkshire Workingmens' clubs. Just 11 nights off in the whole year helps establish Tony as the busiest and one of the best known country music singers in Britain. The first of many club awards as Favourite Artiste are gained by Tony at the Brighton C.M.Club and the Wildwood South C.M.Club in Southampton, sussesses repeated the following year. Radio station D.J.'s forever mention his name on the various 'what's on' section of their programmes giving him the name 'Britain's Mr Country Music'.
1977	Tony returns to America, and makes his debut, singing on stage at the world famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for the first time on Saturday 14th May, 1977. Appearing on both the afternoon and evening shows (on the segment sponsored by Beech Nut Chewing Tobacco), Tony was then invited by Charlie Walker to appear on the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, also broadcast throughout America on WSM Radio.
1978	More bookings for Tony in various parts of America including Hudson, Ohio, Baltimore, Wellsburg, West Virginia, and WWVA Wheeling Jamboree, also in West Virginia, where Tony starred along with Freddie Fender. Back to Nashville to record tracks for his album 'Mr Country Music', with backing from many of Nashville's best known musicians.
1981	Voted for by members of the British Country Music Association, Tony wins the B.C.M.A. award as Britain's Best Male Soloist, an award he was also to win in both 1982 and 1983. The first of 14 consecutive appearances at The Floralia Country Music Festival in Oosterhout, Holland, still one of Europe's leading country music events.
1982/3/4	More bookings at other leading festivals in Holland, and also in Switzerland add to Tony's increasing popularity in Europe.
1985/6	Both years, voted by readers of the Dutch based magazine 'Country Gazette' as Europe's most popular solo male vocalist in country music.
1988	Along with his wife, Sylvia, Tony sets off on a 3 month 'Round the World' tour which sees many highlights. Tony becomes the first British based act to be featured on major shows at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in Australia, as a guest of Ray Kernaghan, having previously started the Australian leg of his tour with Ray at his own festival in Corowa, near Albury, N.S.W. (Ray's son, Lee Kernaghan, now one of the top Australian stars in country music backed Tony on keyboard on this show). To mark Australia's Bi-Centennial celebration, Tony represented Britain at a special show in Parramatta, near Sydney, in front of an audience of 35,000 people. After 4 weeks of shows in New Zealand, and a two week holiday in Hawaii, Tony spent three weeks in America, where he once again sang on the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree, and also did his first show in Texas at the Grapevine Opry near Dallas/Fort Worth.
1990	Another 7 week tour of Australia, with headline bookings at the Parkes Country Music Jamboree in New South Wales, and the Mildura Festival in Victoria. First appearances in Tasmania
1994	Tony is invited by Paul Wheater to co-star with him as narrator for the official Jim Reeves Tribute Show 'I Won't Forget You', beginning a 30 month run of theatre shows throughout Britain. The 30th Anniversary of Jim Reeves' death is marked by a special show at the London Palladium on 31st July 1994. In the audience that night, having flown in from Texas with his family was Ray Winkler, writer of 'Welcome To My World, as well as George Hamilton IV, his wife Tink, and members of the cast of the Patsy Cline Tribute Show, which was playing in London at the time.
1995	Back to Australia again, with debut appearances in the Brisbane and Gold Coast areas of Queensland.
1996	Tony's 40th anniversary year of singing country music is marked by major features in all Britain's leading country music publications. A double cassette and C.D. album with 21 newly recorded songs is released to great acclaim.
1997	Tony returns to the Floralia Festival in Holland with a six-piece band, for his 15th appearance. A new video ‘The Tony Goodacre Story’ is released, another 3 hours of great entertainment which includes a recording of the actual broadcast when Tony made his Grand Ole Opry debut appearance in Nashville in May 1977.
2000	Release of 3 C.D.’s. ‘Tony Goodacre Sings the Songs of Geoff Ashford’, ‘Favourite Tracks from the 1970’s’ and ‘Favourite Tracks from the 1980’s
2001	The long-awaited new C.D. and cassette with guitarist Steve Isherwood ‘The Millennium Project is completed.
2002	Another new ‘compilation’ C.D. ‘More Favourite Tracks’ is released.
2003	New Video ‘From A to Z’ is released, covering shows, scenery & wildlife filmed during the 2002 tour of Australia, & New Zealand, a Malaysia stopover, as well as the 2001 trip to Arizona, Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. Work starts on a new album with Steve Isherwood. Many Country Music Festival appearance throughout Britain including Pakefield, Tenby, Debenham, Kings Lynn, Kilmaurs Scotland, Presthaven and many more. After 30 years living in the same house in Leeds, Tony & Sylvia move to Redcar
2004	‘Snow Covered’ another C.D. produced by Tony’s guitarist Steve Isherwood is released.
2005	To mark the 25 year anniversary of setting up Sylvantone Records, Sylvantone Promotions and Sylvantone Music, Tony releases 3 C.D.’s Volume 1 all the songs recorded by Jeannie for Sylvantone, Volume 3 all Stu Page tracks, and Volume 3, 25 songs, both old and new Recorded byTony, Geoff Ashford and several guest artistes. Tony is invited once again to appear at the Floralia Festival in Holland, to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. Tony also begins to plan for his 50th year of singing country music, which he completes in September 2006.
2006	To mark the completion of fifty years as a country music singer, Tony achieved another first in Britain by releasing a 12 CD box set, comprising on CD, 12 of the vinyl and cassette albums he released between 1974 and 1989. The set comes complete with an 88 page Souvenir Book, which includes nearly 200 photographs. In September he was joined by his good friend of over 35 years, Grand Ole Opry star George Hamilton IV, who also celebrated his 50th year as a singer in 2006, on a hugely successful '100 Years in Country Music' nationwide concert tour, taking in 28 different venues in 28 days.
2007	Plans already in an advanced stage for a further nationwide tour with George Hamilton IV. This time, billed as the 'Together Again' tour, there is also the option of dates with Tony's 4 piece band, as an alternative to the two man show. Further DVD releases from earlier videos are also planned. From the thousands of votes cast on the internetcountryshow.com website, Tony was the recipient of the first ever LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD in British country music. From an initial shortlist of 18 names, all who had been pioneers of the scene in Britain for at least 25 years, (and many, like Tony, much longer), Tony was declared the winner by a majority of well over 600 votes. The beautiful award, a sold glass engraved crystal globe on a hand shaped stand, was presented to him by David Allan on stage at the Lakeside Leisure Club, Frimley Green in Surrey on February 4th as part of the UK Radio Awards show, in front of a capacity crowd of over 1,000 people.