Deacon Blue star Ricky Ross delighted revellers by bidding farewell to a iconic Glasgow piano bar a goodbye on its penultimate night trading.
The Glasgow-born star took to the stage for an impromptu song, paying tribute to The Baby Grand by singing hit single Wages Day to an excited audience, reports Glasgow Live.
He was introduced to the stage by owner Billy McAneney, he said: “I did my first gig here. And Billy tells me it’s not the same piano. It’s Friday night, lets do a country song – if you know it, join in.”
The 67-year-old singer then showed off his piano skills before bursting into song, with the audience singing along.
Following the performance, The Baby Grand crowd went wild, apllauding the star and embracing owner Billy.
The unexpected performance came on the bar’s second to last night of trading on Wednesday, January 29.
Posting on Facebook to mark the end of an era, Billy McAneney, posted: “Our amazing kitchen team after their final check last night. WHAT A RIDE! Thanks everyone for keeping them busy!”
The Charing Cross bar announced its closure at the beginning of the month, following more than four decades as one of Glasgow’s most iconic venues.
The venue will be demolished as part of a dramatic £250 million revamp of Charing Cross.
Glasgow Live spoke to Billy shortly before the venue’s closure. Reflecting on his time running the bar he said: “Everything was concrete, the walls, the floor, even the roof was concrete – it took us a year to get it working and we opened in October 1984.
“The sad thing is there’s bars and restaurants popping up all over the city now, but there’s not so many places which have been under the same ownership for 41 years – its a Glasgow institution, but an institution that’s losing its sharpness because of the area.”
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