A PROUD family today paid tribute to a popular Greenock singer and musician who has died suddenly.

Charles McGroarty passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago, at the age of 57, after being admitted to hospital.

He collapsed last month and was rushed to Inverclyde Royal with a suspected stroke.

But a scan revealed that he had a brain tumour, and Charles had to be transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow.

He underwent surgery to removed the tumour but sadly never regained consciousness.

His grieving brother Frank, 54, said: “It was the speed of everything.

“We’re devastated that he is gone.

“Everything has happened so quickly.

“It’s hard to explain how big a shock it was.

“But he is at peace now.

“We’ve got our memories and plenty of recordings of him singing.”

Charles lived with his parents Margaret, 78, and Tommy, 81, and his younger sister Margaret, 46, in Bawhirley Road.

He developed his passion for music at an early age when he attended St Patrick’s Primary and St Columba’s High at Bayhill.

Frank said: “The first image that comes to mind is Charles pictured as a toddler at the Esplanade with his record player.

“Even in those days, it was the early stages of a record collection — one which would be the envy of any music lover today.

“But listening to music was not enough, he loved to perform it as well.”

Charles’ musical career started with playing the triangle in a primary school percussion band and he progressed to the clarinet.

Frank said: “His love of music stepped up a gear when he got his first guitar, then he developed piano skills at secondary school as well as playing the clarinet in the school orchestra.

“We went on many journeys together, which included the Oracle Theatre of Youth, Hospital Radio Paisley, and dancing with the Scotland Latin American Formation Team on BBC’s Come Dancing, where I will never forget him giving me a crash course in the dance routine in our dining room before the first training session.”

Frank, who lives in West Lothian with his wife and two children, says a line rom one of Charles’ favourite songs sums up his life.

He said: “One of his favourites was by John Miles and had the line ‘Music is my first love and it will be my last’, and this was reflected throughout his life.”

Charles, who was also involved in the Greenock Players, started playing gigs with his own band Clyde Coasters and also performed in local talent contest Megastars.

His musical knowledge and broadcasting skills made him a popular choice as presenter on hospital radio at IRH and Inverclyde Radio.

Charles worked at the DWP in Greenock before being made redundant two years ago and he had latterly been studying music at West College Scotland.

Only a few months ago the huge Elvis fan fulfilled one of his dreams when he got the chance to perform with his friend Rob Kingsley’s band during a rehearsal for his Vision of Elvis show at the Beacon.

Frank said: “There was no audience, but that did not bother him.

“That afternoon gave him one of his most treasured memories in a theatre.”

Charles’ brother said he was often referred to in the area as ‘The Music Man’, and that is how he would like to be remembered. 

Frank said: “More than 200 people turned out for his funeral at St Laurence’s Church.

“We were absolutely overwhelmed.

“He touched a lot of people’s lives.”