Christian dead at 80: Scots singer and showbiz legend dies days after final show

Showbiz legend Christian died suddenly aged 80 - two days after he performed his final show in front of a packed audience.

The singer, real name Chris McClure, performed at Fauldhouse Miners Welfare Club in West Lothian on Saturday night, April 27. He died in his sleep at his home in Bishopbriggs, Glasgow, on Monday night, where he lived with his second wife Rainey.

His agent Ean Jones confirmed his passing as he paid tribute to the entertainer's incredible career spanning 60 decades.

He said: "Chris was a wonderful human being and I am hugely privileged to have known him and worked with him for so long. He was one of the greatest examples of the 'old school professional'.

"He would always turn up and put on a great show. He performed from the heart and with genuine conviction.

"Chris was a man of great humility. He could be headlining a show at Glasgow Pavilion theatre in front of a crowd of 1500 people one day and the next he would be performing at a local care home. He always had time for his fans."

His daughter Storm-Skylar McClure told of her devastation that her dad wouldn't see her wedding day as she paid tribute to him last night.

"My wee amazing dad passed away peacefully in his sleep. At 80 years old he had nothing wrong with him so this has come as a shock," she said.

"I am heartbroken that he won't be there on my wedding day. What a legend you are. "

During his illustrious career, the twice married dad-of-five toured the UK with Billy Connolly when he shared the same manager as the Big Yin in the 1970s.

He appeared on the same bill as The Jacksons and Dolly Parton at the Queen 's Jubilee show at Glasgow’s King's Theatre in 1978. And later he sang on the 1982 Scotland World Cup song We Have a Dream, which was performed by Gregory’s Girl star John Gordon Sinclair and written by B.A. Robertson and reached No5 in the charts.

Not one to shy away from the spotlight, he continued to perform in the Glasgow Pavilion’s annual panto, alongside River City star Stephen Purdon and TV wrestler Grado until 2018.

Scots comedian and panto icon Andy Cameron, who worked with Christian early in his career, told how the singer was destined for stardom.

The 83-year-old said: "It's really sad news. He was an absolute gentleman - a lovely man and a great entertainer.

"The news came as a shock as he was always fit whenever I saw him.

"He was a lovely guy to be around. We worked in the Pavillion together, we worked in a lot of working mens clubs all over Scotland together in the 70s and 80s. It was always obvious to me that he was going to be a big star.

"He was a great entertainer and a lovely, lovely man. I'm very sad he's gone."

His former tour manager Iain Gordon added: "Chris was the ultimate entertainer and one of the best in Scotland and certainly one of the hardest working. He was at home in front of any audience and was just as happy performing in a Miners Welfare Club, Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre Glasgow or The London Palladium.

"One of his most famous songs was Shine It On which he did for the Eurovision auditions in the 1970s or more often lately performed in local care homes.

"A nice, kind and happy man. But most of all he was an entertainer in the true sense of the word."

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