Anthony Fitzgerald (born 25 April 1943), known professionally as Tony Christie, is an English musician and singer. He is best known for his recording of “(Is This the Way to) Amarillo”, a double UK chart success.
“(Is This the Way to) Amarillo”, peaked at number 18, in 1971. In 1973 he had a minor hit with “Avenues and Alleyways” which reached number 37. It was also the theme music to the television series The Protectors.
In 2002, “(Is This the Way to) Amarillo” was used in the TV comedy series Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights, leading to a resurgence in his popularity. The song was re-released on 14 March 2005 to raise money for the Comic Relief charity and reached Number 1 in the UK Singles Chart (outselling all the first release’s chart run put together). This led to the biggest sales for a Number 1 single for the whole year, with seven weeks at the chart pinnacle. It also became the longest running chart-topper since Cher’s “Believe”, almost seven years earlier.