The Irish community in New York has lost one of its great characters and I have lost one of my true friends. In a world full of small minded, selfish people Gerry Toner was the real deal.....fun loving, loyal and generous to a fault. He may have been small in stature but he was a giant among men.
For many years no concert of mine in Carnegie Hall would have been complete without the after party in Kennedy's with Gerry proudly presiding over all, greeting everyone with that cheeky smile, making sure we were looked after. The other tradition that Gerry started was to have a case of champagne delivered to my dressing room..."to be consumed AFTER the performance".
They don't build men like Gerry anymore.
Tuesday 05 September 2017
Phil Coulter, County Wicklow, Ireland