Tony Snell and The Spitfire Troubadour
Tony Snell and The Spitfire Troubadour
It is with great sadness to learn of Tony Snell's recent passing at the age of 91. What a man was he! Tony, and his wife Jackie (who passed in 2001) were the owners of the Last Resort Restaurant and Bar on Bellamy Cay in the British Virgin Islands.Yes, that Last Resort where Tony entertained with his guitar, harmonica and piano, writing his own music and words that kept the whole island in laughter! Who else would have thought to train their dogs to sing along with him? And, of course,there was the donkey that had its own open window to the restaurant so that the diners could give it a taste of what Jackie had prepared for their guests. He was an amazing man!
Tony and Jackie have a son, Jeremy, and a daughter, Jessica. Jessica and her husband Ben have been running The Last Resort for the last few years with Tony as the guest entertainer. They will continue to keep the restaurant open with delicious meals and drinks on the small island of Bellamay Cay.
Our condolences to the family. Tony will be forever in our thoughts.
In his book Spitfire Troubadour, Tony recounts, in his own irreverent style, his early years in RAF flying Spitfires during the second world war. He was shot down, captured, and put in front of a firing squad, but escaped to fly again. He went on to spend ten years as an actor in London, South Africa and the USA where he traveled around the country in an old bus that was later rented to Charles Manson. Needless to say they never saw the bus again. Back in the UK and anxious for more adventure, he set sail in a small catamaran for Spain. The following year he married Jackie and they sailed to the West Indies to start a charter fleet. When the boats were sold they started The Last Resort and the rest is history!
To read his fascinating obituary, click here.