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Mattie Fox has always been a fine ambassador for the misty rolling midlands of Longford. He even once fronted a highly talented four-piece group called Misty! That was back in the 1970s when they combined excellent country music with a highly entertaining cabaret variety show.
Almost nine years after a major health setback in June 2014 where he suffered a bad stroke that confined him to hospital for three months?. Thankfully, Mattie has made a fine recovery.
Last September, he fronted a concert show with friends in Ballinalee church in his home village, and it was his first time on stage for 40 years. Such was the response to that performance, Mattie and friends are doing a full concert show in the Back Stage Theatre in Longford on Thursday night, 16 February.
“I was full of anticipation and more than a little nervous in Ballinalee church back in September,” says Mattie. “While I have been associated with the music scene in different genres for more than five decades, it was almost like a new venture to me all over again. I need not have worried as the audience was brilliant and the band went down a treat.”
Bringing back memories
“We got a standing ovation at the end of the show and it just brought back so many lovely memories from all those years ago. It was an amazing night for me and in a strange way it reconnected me with the magic of being on stage before an appreciative audience,” recalls Mattie.
He first came to national prominence in 1972 when he reached No 5 in Ireland’s Top 10 with the Charley Pride song, Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger.
A year later with The Country Blue Boys, a band that also had Larry Cunningham as lead singer for a while in that general era, he recorded another Charley Pride classic, Crystal Chandeliers.
Around 1980, Mattie called it a day on the performing circuit.
“My last gig with Misty was in the Rustic Inn in Abbeyshrule. The scene had gone into a valley at that stage with the onslaught of the disco era.”
Describing the change in a popular musical era, he remembers: “The dance hall scene was coming to a close and it was in those lull years before the pirate radio stations came on air and began to inject new life into the country scene again.”
New opportunity
The closing of one door certainly led to the opening of a much bigger door and Mattie later took over the diary of Christy Moore and looked after all his bookings for 25 years: “Those were amazing times. Christy has been an institution on the scene since the days of Planxty.
“I toured with Matt Molloy and Mick Hanly, as well as The Chieftains. I also managed Mary Coughlan’s diary. I had a very busy phone during those hectic years,” he says of his management years.
Another intriguing part of Mattie’s amazing music journey was when he promoted The Irish Tenors, especially in the US.
“People here may not be aware of how huge they were over there. The group featured Finbar Wright, Ronan Tynan and Anthony Kearns. They packed out the big theatres from coast to coast. I once had them perform to over 5,000 people at an open-air arena. They were simply huge in America.”
These days Mattie is making final plans for the big night in Longford town. “The band comprises of longtime friends of mine and features Charlie Arkins, Matt Leavy, Dessie Hynes, Eddie Quinn and Pat Creegan. It is the same lineup as we had in Ballinalee back in September,” says Mattie.
“This will be a real country music show and a night of pure nostalgia. I will be doing a few Tom T Hall and Charley Pride numbers along the way. It is a lovely, comfortable theatre and we are expecting a complete sell-out in advance of the show” anticipates Mattie.
Bookings for Mattie Fox and Friends can be made by phone during opening hours (Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm) on 043 3347888. Ticket collection at the Backstage theatre is available during the above hours too.
The Galway Clayton goes country in style
In Galway, The Clayton Hotel at Ballybrit will host the annual Michael Commins Country Shows on Monday and Tuesday 20 and 21 February. These are proving to be popular country shows and attract a hugely loyal clientele from every county on the island of Ireland as well as some from England and the US.
The shows feature a mix of new and established country acts as well as some from the traditional Irish music scene. Once again around 30 acts will take to the stage, evenly spread between the two nights.
The Monday night concert show features Declan Nerney, Mick Flavin, Ciaran Rosney, Marc Roberts, Kenny Archer, Rachel Goode, Don Stiffe, Kevin Prendergast, Ross Molloy, Oliver Diviney (a renowned Galway accordion player), Larissa Tormey, Joe Forde, Julie Healy, Noreen Burke, Billy Condon and The Ryan Turner Band.
The Tuesday night show features John Glenn, Eamon McCann, Art Supple, Mick Mulhern, Bernie Heaney, Sarah McEvilly, Matt Keane, Gavin Gribben, Pat McKenna, Liam McLaughlin, John McIntyre, Richard Mulligan, Carmel McLoughlin, Eunice Moran and Billy Condon who will be joining the Ryan Turner Band.
Throw into the mix the cherished afternoon session from 3pm to 5.30pm in the bar each afternoon where patrons are welcome to join the live music by Mick Mulhern and The Usual Suspects for a real party atmosphere. The same band also provides music for the celebrations in the lounge after both concerts.
Tickets for the shows are €30 and are available from The Clayton Hotel reception (091-721900) and the usual outlets in Mayo and Galway, Ticketmaster and direct from Patsy Brown on 086 1551841.
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