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Rory Gallagher was born March 2nd, 1948 in Ballyshannon, County Donegull, which is in the NW of Ireland. He grew up in Cork, which is on the S coast.
He formed Taste in 1966. The line-up changed a bit in 1967: with Rory on guitar and vocals, John Wilson on drums with a jazz-ting, and the intricate bass playing was provided by Richard McCracken. Their albums include Taste, On the Boards, Live Taste, and Live at the Ilse of Wight. Due to artistic differences, the band broke up. Rory went on, venturing into a solo career. Gallagher got a chance to “sit in” on recording sessions of Muddy Waters in London, along with Mitch Mitchell, Steve Winwood, Rick Grech and various other musicians.
He then formed another band under his own name. Musicians changed a bit, but the longest and most reputable combo was Rory, Gerry McAvoy on bass, Rod de’Ath on drums, and Lou Martin on piano. He played briantly with many instruments like the harmonica and mandolin in the early albums and the steel resonator in Irish Tour. His music has much variety, ranging from blues to rock, slow to up-beat.
Rory Gallagher Discography
*There may be a few not listed
- Rory Gallagher - 1971
- Deuce - 1971
- Live In Europe - 1972
- Blueprint - 1973
- Tattoo - 1973
- Irish Tour - 1974
- Against the Grain - 1975
- Calling Card - 1976
- Photo Finish - 1978
- Top Priority - 1979
- Stage Struck - 1980
- Jinx - 1982
- Defender - 1987
- Fresh Evidence - 1990
- BBC Sessions - 1999
- Let's Go To Work - 2001
- Meeting With The G-Man - 2003
In ’72 Rory dethroned Eric Clapton, when he was voted Melody Maker’s Top Musician of the Year. Also, when the Rolling Stone guitarist died, they auditioned Rory as their permanent guitarist, but he refused the offer, because it was against all he believed in terms of his own name and style. Gallagher played for the joy and light of the music, not the fame. He devoted all his life to music.
Rory lived for a time in Belgium and from the late 1980s suffered increasingly poor health yet he continued touring. Rory Gallagher died in London on June 14th 1995, at age 47, from complications following a liver transplant.
"uncompromisingly serious musician" - The Times, June 16th 1995
”Rory's death really upset me. I heard about it just before we went on stage, and it put a damper on the evening. I can't say I knew him that well, but I remember meeting him in our offices once, and we spent an hour talking. He was such a nice guy and a great player.” – Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin
”Rory's death is a tragic loss of a great musician and a very good friend” – Van Morrison
Some quotes from the man himself
Taken from Irish Tour 1974 DVD
”You can sorta manufacture it, even though it’s emotional to some extent. You can more or less manufacture it and you can just reproduce it every night; for better, for worse sort of thing. But the kind of thing I’m playing…um…to me anyway is, it doesn’t end and start just for those two hours. It’s something that’s with you all the time.”
“I just want to continue playing. I want to be able to walk into a shop, buy a couple of things if I wanted, go into a bar and have a pint without being besieged all the time. I just want to live an ordinary kind of life; walk around the streets without being recognized sort of life. Of course, if someone comes over and says ‘ How ya doing?,’ well that’s fine, but I don’t want to get into the Rowels Rice, and the mansion, and cloak and dagger stern of life. Obviously you don’t mind enjoying your success to some extent, but I don’t think you have to change your whole life style and your whole way of thinking to suit success. I just enjoy lounging around the streets.”
Interesting Facts
- His favorite slide was a Coricidin D cold tablet bottle.
- His favorite car was a VW beetle.
- He had a Stramp ‘power-baby’ amplifier custom made in Hamburg. It’s circuit boards are featured on the cover of blueprint.
Terence Murphy
The Bridge House, Canning Town
LAUNCH PARTY & REUNION
Bridge House Book launch & Reunion Gig
Friday 3rd August will be the official launch party for the new Bridge House Book.
Playing live will be RDB + Special guests (tba).
From 6pm East Ham Working Mens Club, 2 Boleyn Rd, London E6 1QE.
£5 admission or free with book purchase. £3 discount on book with a printout of the flyer.
Come along and get your book signed by many of the old Bridge House stars!
Pre-order the book if you can't make the gig.
"...With his large collection of hitherto-unseen photos and his own astute memories, Murphy lets rip a musical free-for-all, his collage of star artists becoming powerfully psychedelic. Jeff Beck, Ginger Baker, Rory Gallagher jamming sensationally with the guys...."
Read Press Release Here
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