William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995)
was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest guitarist you've never heard of", and strongly influenced other guitarists such as
Brian May and
Eric Clapton. Gallagher was voted as guitarist of the year by ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' magazine in 1972, and listed as the 57th greatest guitarist of all time by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine.
Born in
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Locati ...
,
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrcon ...
, and raised in
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
, Gallagher formed the band
Taste in the late 1960s and recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His albums have sold over 30 million copies worldwide. His popularity and output declined in the 1980s due to changes in the music industry and ill health. Gallagher received a liver transplant in 1995, but died of complications later that year in London at the age of 47.
Early life
Gallagher was born in
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Locati ...
, County Donegal in 1948.
His father Daniel was employed by the Irish
Electricity Supply Board, who were constructing
Cathaleen's Fall hydroelectric power station
Cathaleen's Fall hydroelectric power station is a hydroelectric plant located on the River Erne at Ballyshannon in County Donegal, Ireland. It is owned and operated by the ESB Group. The plant is also known as Ballyshannon.
Construction
Plans ...
on the
Erne River above the town.
The family moved to
Derry City, where his younger brother Dónal was born in 1949.
Dónal would act as Rory's manager through most of his career.
His mother, Monica, and the two boys later moved to
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
, where the brothers were raised. Rory attended
North Monastery School.
Daniel Gallagher had played the
accordion and sang with the Tír Chonaill Céilí Band while in Donegal;
their mother Monica was a singer and acted with the Abbey Players in Ballyshannon. The Theatre in Ballyshannon where Monica once acted is now called the Rory Gallagher Theatre.
Both sons were musically inclined and encouraged by their parents to pursue music.
At age nine, Gallagher received his first guitar from them. He built on his burgeoning ability on
ukulele in teaching himself to play the guitar and perform at minor functions. After winning a cash prize in a talent contest when he was twelve, he bought his next guitar. Gallagher began performing in his adolescence with both his acoustic guitar, and an electric guitar. However, it was a 1961
Fender Stratocaster, which he purchased three years later for £100 that became his primary instrument and was most associated with him during his career.
Gallagher was initially attracted to
skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United Stat ...
after hearing
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the " King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scot ...
on the radio. Donegan frequently
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of copy ...
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...
and
folk performers from the United States. He relied entirely on radio programs and television. Occasionally, the
BBC would play some blues numbers, and he slowly found some song books for guitar, where he found the names of the actual composers of blues pieces.
While still in school, playing songs by
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...
and
Eddie Cochran
Ray Edward Cochran (; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. Cochran's songs, such as "Twenty Flight Rock", "Summertime Blues", "C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire ...
, he discovered his greatest influence in
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913 April 30, 1983), known professionally as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer and musician who was an important figure in the post- war blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of modern Chicag ...
. He began experimenting with folk, blues, and rock music. Unable to find or afford record albums, Gallagher stayed up late to hear
Radio Luxembourg and
AFN where the radio brought him his only exposure to the actual songwriters and musicians whose music moved him most.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Influences he discovered, and cited as he progressed, included
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspire ...
,
Big Bill Broonzy, and
Lead Belly. Singing and later using a brace for his harmonica, Gallagher taught himself to play
slide guitar. Further, throughout the next few years of his musical development, Gallagher began learning to play
alto saxophone, bass,
mandolin,
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
, and the Coral
electric sitar
An electric sitar is a type of electric guitar designed to mimic the sound of the sitar, a traditional musical instrument of India. Depending on the manufacturer and model, these instruments bear varying degrees of resemblance to the tradition ...
with varying degrees of proficiency.
By his mid-teens, he began experimenting heavily with different blues styles.
Gallagher began playing after school with
Irish showband
The Irish showband was a dance band format popular in Ireland from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six- or seven-piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and ...
s, while still a young teenager. In 1963,
he joined one named Fontana, a
sextet playing the popular
hit songs of the day.
The band toured Ireland and the United Kingdom, earning the money for the payments that were due on his Stratocaster guitar. Gallagher began to influence the band's repertoire, beginning its transition from mainstream pop music, skirting along some of
Chuck Berry's songs and by 1965, he had successfully moulded Fontana into "The Impact", with a change in their line-up into an
R&B group that played gigs in Ireland and Spain until disbanding in London.
Gallagher left with the bassist Oliver Tobin and drummer Johnny Campbell to perform as a trio in
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, Germany.
In 1966, Gallagher returned to Ireland and, experimenting with other musicians in Cork, decided to form his own band.
Taste
Having completed a musical apprenticeship in the showbands, and influenced by the increasing popularity of
beat groups
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery (c ...
during the early 1960s, Gallagher formed "The Taste", which was later renamed simply, "
Taste", a
blues rock and
R&B power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit (drums and cymbals), leaving out a second rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...
, in 1966.
Initially, the band was composed of Gallagher and two Cork musicians, Eric Kitteringham (died 2013) and Norman Damery. However, by 1968, they were replaced with two musicians from Belfast, featuring Gallagher on guitar and vocals, drummer John Wilson, and bassist Richard McCracken.
Performing extensively in the UK, the group played regularly at the
Marquee Club
The Marquee Club was a music venue first located at 165 Oxford Street in London, when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts. Its most famous period was from 1964 to 1988 at 90 Wardour Street in Soho, and it finally closed ...
, supporting both
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
at their
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
farewell concert, and the blues supergroup
Blind Faith on a tour of North America. Managed by Eddie Kennedy, the trio released the albums ''
Taste'' and ''
On The Boards'', and two live recordings, ''
Live Taste'' and ''
Live at the Isle of Wight''.
The band broke up shortly after their appearance at the 1970
Isle of Wight Festival, and the live album from the festival was released a year later.
[Buckley, Peter (ed.; 2003). ''The Rough Guide To Rock'', pp. 409–10. Rough Guides Ltd; ] Creative differences and an issue with management led to the band breaking up, with Gallagher stating that "we just came to the end of our natural life. The drummer wanted to play jazz and I wanted to play blues. We also had management problems that went on to cause me terrible legal hassles; I couldn't play for six months after Taste split up because of the contract I was under". In a later interview in 1977, he was more forthright: "Everything went amicably, but I did want to get rid of my manager, a real bastard. That is when he passed on all those stories, to defame me". Rory Gallagher's brother Dónal, who took on the role of his manager, insisted they bring his previous manager, Eddie Kennedy, to court to recoup royalty payments. The episode made Gallagher reluctant to seek out 'big' management deals in future, and he later turned down an approach from
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ...
's manager,
Peter Grant.
Towards the end of the band's existence, relations were strained. Wilson refused to go back onstage for an encore at a gig in Glasgow, and Gallagher claims they were not talking to each other at the Isle of Wight Festival. They played their final gig together around Christmas 1970.
Solo career
After the break-up of Taste, Gallagher toured under his own name, hiring former Deep Joy bass player
Gerry McAvoy
John Gerard McAvoy (born 19 December 1951) is a Northern Irish blues rock bass guitarist. He played with blues rock musician Rory Gallagher between 1970 and 1991, and then with Nine Below Zero until 2011.
Biography
McAvoy was born in Belfast, ...
to play on Gallagher's self-titled debut album, ''
Rory Gallagher''.
It was the beginning of a twenty-year musical relationship between Gallagher and McAvoy; the other band member was drummer
Wilgar Campbell.
The 1970s were Gallagher's most prolific period. He produced ten albums in that decade, including two live albums, ''
Live in Europe'' and ''
Irish Tour '74''. November 1971 saw the release of the album ''
Deuce''.
In 1972, he was voted ''
Melody Maker
''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
s Guitarist/Musician of the Year.
However, despite a number of his albums from this period reaching the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...
, Gallagher did not attain major star status.
Gallagher played and recorded what he said was "in me all the time, and not just something I turn on ...". Though he sold over thirty million albums worldwide, it was his marathon live performances that won him greatest acclaim.
[ He is documented in ''Irish Tour '74'', a film directed by Tony Palmer.
During the heightened periods of political unrest in ]Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...
, as other artists were warned not to tour, Gallagher was resolute about playing there at least once a year during his career. In 1974, they stayed in the Europa hotel in Belfast, which was known as "the most bombed hotel in Europe". This approach won him the dedication of thousands of fans, and in the process, he became a role model for other aspiring young Irish musicians.
Gallagher said in several interviews that there were not any international Irish acts until Van Morrison and he, and later Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy. The line-up which included Rod de'Ath
Roderick Morris Buckenham de'Ath (; 18 June 1950 – 1 August 2014) was a Welsh musician, best known for his role as drummer with Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher in the 1970s.
Career With Rory Gallagher
De'Ath was playing with the band Killing ...
on drums and Lou Martin
Louis Michael "Lou" Martin (12 August 1949 – 17 August 2012) was a piano and organ player from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was an original member of the London-based band Killing Floor, and also worked with fellow Irish musician Rory Galla ...
on keyboards, performed together between 1973 and 1976. However, he eventually dropped down to just bass, guitar and drums, and his act became a power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format having a lineup of electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit (drums and cymbals), leaving out a second rhythm guitar or keyboard instrument that are often used in other rock music bands that are quart ...
. In January 1975, when the Rolling Stones gathered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to continue working towards their album '' Black and Blue'' they auditioned new guitarists, to replace Mick Taylor, as they recorded. Gallagher went over for a jam with the band "just to see what was going on," but did not join the group, happy with his solo career.
In 1975, Gallagher's contract with Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United State ...
came to an end, and he signed with Chrysalis Records. At the time, it was hope that Chrysalis "wanted to give him the close, personal attention that he never really had before. hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title ...
wanted to go all-out with him." Some early interaction with Chrysalis showed that Gallagher liked to keep tight artistic control over his work: while making Calling Card, he resisted producer Roger Glover's effort to make a cleaner sound, rejected the mixes made by Elliot Mazer and "hit the roof" when Chris Wright suggested that the song Edged in Blue be cut in length to make it a single and the album's name be changed to match it. Other releases from the Chrysalis period include ''Photo-Finish
A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finis ...
'', and ''Top Priority
''Top Priority'' is Rory Gallagher's eighth studio album and tenth album overall. It was his fourth and final studio album for Chrysalis Records both in the UK and USA. The album was the second with his revised power trio band. Like the previous ...
''.
The Gallagher band performed several TV and radio shows across Europe, including '' Beat-Club'' in Bremen, Germany and the '' Old Grey Whistle Test''. He recorded two "Peel Sessions
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
" (both February 1973 and containing the same tracks), but only the first was broadcast. Along with Little Feat and Roger McGuinn, Gallagher performed the first Rockpalast
''Rockpalast'' (''Rock Palace'') is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). ''Rockpalast'' started in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock, heavy metal and ja ...
live concert at the Grugahalle
The Grugahalle is a multi-purpose indoor arena located at the edge of the Botanischer Garten Grugapark in Essen, Germany. Opened on 25 October 1958, its seating capacity is about 7,700 people and about 10,000 for unseated events. The building wa ...
, Essen, Germany in 1977.
Gallagher collaborated with Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis mad ...
and Muddy Waters on their respective ''London Sessions'' in the mid-1970s. He played on Lonnie Donegan's 1978 album ''Puttin' on the Style''.
In the 1980s he continued recording, producing '' Jinx'', '' Defender'', and ''Fresh Evidence
''Fresh Evidence'' is Rory Gallagher's eleventh and last studio album, his fourteenth album overall. The album was unusual in that Gallagher used more additional musicians and spent more time recording than he normally did. Not as unusual, the so ...
''. After ''Fresh Evidence'', he embarked on a tour of the United States. In addition he played with Box of Frogs
Box of Frogs were an English rock band formed in 1983 by former members of the Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984. The core group consisted of Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty. Vocals on their eponymous album w ...
, a band formed in 1983 by former members of The Yardbirds
The Yardbirds are an English rock band, formed in London in 1963. The band's core lineup featured vocalist and harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist and later bassist Chris Dreja and bassist/producer Paul Samwe ...
. Becoming obsessive over details and plagued by self-doubt, Gallagher nevertheless retained a loyal fanbase. During this period he stated "I agonize too much".
'' Notes From San Francisco'', an album of unreleased studio tracks and a San Francisco 1979 concert, was released in May 2011.
Band line-up
In addition to Gallagher himself (on guitar and vocals), over the years Gallagher's band included:
* 1971–1972: Gerry McAvoy
John Gerard McAvoy (born 19 December 1951) is a Northern Irish blues rock bass guitarist. He played with blues rock musician Rory Gallagher between 1970 and 1991, and then with Nine Below Zero until 2011.
Biography
McAvoy was born in Belfast, ...
, bass guitarist, and drummer Wilgar Campbell.
* 1972–1978: Gerry McAvoy (bass), keyboardist Lou Martin
Louis Michael "Lou" Martin (12 August 1949 – 17 August 2012) was a piano and organ player from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was an original member of the London-based band Killing Floor, and also worked with fellow Irish musician Rory Galla ...
, and drummer Rod de'Ath
Roderick Morris Buckenham de'Ath (; 18 June 1950 – 1 August 2014) was a Welsh musician, best known for his role as drummer with Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher in the 1970s.
Career With Rory Gallagher
De'Ath was playing with the band Killing ...
.
* 1978–1981: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Ted McKenna (drums)
* 1981–1991: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Brendan O'Neill (drums) + frequent guest: Mark Feltham (harmonica)
* 1992–1994: David Levy (bass), Jim Leverton (keyboards), John Cooke (keyboards), Richard Newman (drums) and frequent guest Mark Feltham, on harmonica.
Guitars and equipment
Stratocaster
Gallagher played a worn sunburst 1961 Stratocaster (Serial Number 64351) for some years. It was reputedly the first in Ireland, and originally owned by Jim Conlon, lead guitarist in the Irish band Royal Showband. Gallagher bought it second-hand from Crowley's Music Shop of Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
's McCurtain Street in August 1963 for just under £100. Speaking about Gallagher's purchase, his brother Dónal recalled: "His dream ambition was to have a guitar like Buddy Holly. This Stratocaster was in the store as a used instrument, it was 100 pounds. In today's money you couldn't even compare; you might as well say it was a million pounds. My mother was saying we'll be in debt for the rest of our lives and Rory said, 'Well, actually with a guitar like this I can play both parts, rhythm and lead, we won't need a rhythm player so I can earn more money and pay it off.' So the Stratocaster became his partner for life if you like."
Virtually all of the finish on Gallagher's Stratocaster was stripped away over time, and, while he took care to keep the guitar in playable condition, Gallagher never had it restored, stating "the less paint or varnish on a guitar, acoustic or electric, the better. The wood breathes more. But it’s all psychological. I just like the sound of it". Gallagher's brother Dónal has also stated that, owing to his rare blood type , Gallagher's sweat was unusually acidic, acting to prematurely age the instrument's paintwork.
The guitar was extensively modified by Gallagher. The tuning pegs and the nut were replaced, the latter changed a number of times. The pickguard was also changed during Gallagher's time with Taste. Only the middle pick-up is original. The final modification was the wiring – Gallagher disconnected the bottom tone pot
Pot may refer to:
Containers
* Flowerpot, a container in which plants are cultivated
* Pottery, ceramic ware made by potters
* A type of cookware
Places
* Ken Jones Aerodrome, IATA airport code POT
* Palestinian Occupied Territories, the W ...
and rewired it so he had just a master tone control along with the master volume control. He installed a five-way selector switch in place of the vintage three-way type.
In late October 2011, Dónal Gallagher brought the guitar out of retirement to allow Joe Bonamassa to perform with it on his two nights at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. Bonamassa opened both night's performances with his rendition of "Cradle Rock" using Gallagher's Stratocaster.
Other equipment
Known for his Stratocaster, Gallagher also used a number of other guitars, including acoustic examples, during his career. In April 2014 one of the last guitars owned by Gallagher, a custom-built Patrick Eggle
Patrick James Eggle is a British guitar designer and luthier.
The company he founded in the 1990s, Patrick Eggle Guitars, first based in Coventry and then in Birmingham, is known for designing and releasing such guitar ranges as the Berlin (1991) ...
'JS Berlin Legend', was sold at auction in England for £25,000.
Gallagher used a number of models of amplifiers during his career, generally preferring smaller 'combo' amplifiers to more powerful Marshall 'stacks' popular with rock and hard rock guitarists. To make up for the relative lack of power on stage, he would link several different combo amps together.
When Gallagher was with Taste, he used a single Vox AC30 with a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster
A treble booster is an effects unit used by guitarists to increase the high end of their tonal spectrum. Many units boost the overall volume as well. Treble boosters were commonly used by guitarists in the 1960s and 1970s. During the last coupl ...
plugged into the 'normal' input. Gallagher also used an Ibanez Tube Screamer, and several Boss
Boss may refer to:
Occupations
* Supervisor, often referred to as boss
* Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier
* Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization
* Fire boss, a ...
effects, including a flanger.
In the 1970s, Gallagher began to use Fender amplifiers with a Hawk booster. Later in the 1970s, when Gallagher was moving towards a hard rock sound, he experimented with Ampeg
Ampeg is a manufacturer best known for its bass amplifiers. Originally established in 1946 in Linden, New Jersey by Everett Hull and Stanley Michaels as "Michael-Hull Electronic Labs," today Ampeg is part of the Yamaha Guitar Group. Although ...
VT40 and VT22 amplifiers, and also used Marshall combos.
Gallagher was an early adopter of Boss ME-5 all-in-one floor based effects units, and used such a unit for his live work until his death. He also used Stramp 2100a amplifiers, which can be seen in his appearances on the German '' Beat Club'' program. Another company that built amplifiers for Gallagher was PCL Vintage Amp.
Death
In the later years of his life, Gallagher developed a phobia of flying. To overcome this, he was prescribed various drugs. Gallagher also had a series of health problems for which he was prescribed steroids (e.g. thyroid disorder
Thyroid disease is a medical condition that affects the function of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is located at the front of the neck and produces thyroid hormones that travel through the blood to help regulate many other organs, meaning ...
, psoriasis
Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by raised areas of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small, localized patches to comple ...
, asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...
). By the time of his final performance on 10 January 1995 in the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, he was visibly ill with severe abdominal pain and the tour had to be cancelled. He had been prescribed paracetamol for the pain, a drug that can be extremely harmful to the liver when taken in large doses and for long periods of time.
Gallagher was admitted to London's King's College Hospital in March 1995, and it was only then that the extent of his ill health became apparent; his liver was failing and the doctors determined that, in spite of his relatively young age, a liver transplant was the only possible course of action. After thirteen weeks in intensive care, while waiting to be transferred to a convalescent home, his health suddenly worsened when he contracted a staphylococcal ( MRSA) infection, and he died on 14 June 1995, at the age of 47. He was unmarried and had no children.
Gallagher was buried in St Oliver's Cemetery, on the Clash Road just outside Ballincollig near Cork City, Ireland. The grave's headstone is in the image of an award he received in 1972 for International Guitarist of the Year.
Legacy
In 2003, '' Wheels Within Wheels'', a collection of acoustic tracks, was released posthumously by Gallagher's brother Dónal. Collaborators on this album included Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy, The Dubliners
The Dubliners were an Irish folk band founded in Dublin in 1962 as The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group, named after its founding member; they subsequently renamed themselves The Dubliners. The line-up saw many changes in personnel over their fifty-yea ...
, Spanish flamenco guitarist Juan Martin
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
and Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James Donegan (29 April 1931 – 3 November 2002), known as Lonnie Donegan, was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the " King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scot ...
.
Many modern-day musicians, including The Edge from U2, Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash ...
of Guns N' Roses, Johnny Marr of the Smiths, Davy Knowles
Davy Knowles (born 30 April 1987) is a Manx blues guitarist and singer. Knowles currently tours as a solo artist, but is formerly of the blues-rock band Back Door Slam, as well as working under the name Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam for a s ...
, Janick Gers
Janick Robert Gers (; born 27 January 1957) is an English musician who is best known as one of the three guitarists in heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He initially joined to replace Adrian Smith, but remained in the band after Smith rejoined. ...
of Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harr ...
, Alex Lifeson of Rush, James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
, Glenn Tipton
Glenn Raymond Tipton (born 25 October 1947) is an English guitarist. Often noted for his complex playing style and classically influenced solos, he is best known as one of the lead guitarists for heavy metal band Judas Priest.
Early life and ...
of Judas Priest, Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1976 in Sheffield. Since 1992, the band has consisted of Rick Savage (bass, backing vocals), Joe Elliott (lead vocals), Rick Allen (drums, backing vocals), Phil Collen (guitar, backing vocals), ...
, Gary Moore, and Joe Bonamassa, cite Gallagher as an inspiration in their formative musical years.
Brian May, lead guitarist of Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
, relates: "so these couple of kids come up, who's me and my mate, and say 'How do you get your sound Mr Gallagher?' and he sits and tells us. So I owe Rory Gallagher my sound." The sound to which May refers consists of a Dallas Rangemaster Treble Booster in combination with a Vox AC30 amplifier. In 2010, Gallagher was ranked No. 42 on Gibson.com's List of their Top 50 Guitarists of All Time. Gallagher was also listed on ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, at 57th place. In April 2014, at the time of the auction of Gallagher's Patrick Eggle "JS Berlin Legend" guitar, the BBC noted: " Eric Clapton credited him with 'getting me back into the blues.'"
Tributes
* On 25 October 1997 a tribute sculpture to Gallagher was unveiled in the newly renamed Rory Gallagher Place (formerly St. Paul's St. Square) in his hometown of Cork. The sculptor, Geraldine Creedon, was a childhood friend of Gallagher.
* Rory Gallagher Corner, at Meeting House Square in Dublin's Temple Bar, is marked with a full-size bronze representation of his Stratocaster. The unveiling was attended by The Edge of U2 and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, among others.
* In 2004, the Rory Gallagher Music Library was opened in Cork.
* In 2006, a plaque was unveiled at the Ulster Hall in Belfast.
* A street in Ris-Orangis, a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, was renamed Rue Rory Gallagher.
* New York City-based Celtic rock band Black 47
Black 47 was an American Celtic rock band from New York City, formed in 1989 by Larry Kirwan and Chris Byrne, and derives its name from a traditional term for the summer of 1847, the worst year of the Great Famine in Ireland.
History
Beginni ...
paid tribute to Rory Gallagher on their 1996 release, "Green Suede Shoes". The track titled "Rory" features vocalist and guitarist Larry Kirwan delivering a tribute to Gallagher.
* Flynn Amps manufacture a Rory Gallagher signature Hawk pedal, cloned from Gallagher's 1970s pedal.
*Christy Moore
Christopher Andrew "Christy" Moore (born 7 May 1945) is an Irish folk singer, songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his significant success as an individual, he is one of the founding members of Planxty and Moving Hearts. His first album, ...
released a song on his 2009 album Listen titled 'Rory is Gone', which pays tribute to Gallagher's life.
*On 2 June 2010, a life-sized bronze statue of Gallagher, made by Scottish sculptor David Annand, was unveiled in the town centre of Ballyshannon. An award-winning annual blues festival is held in his honour in the same town.
* In 2015 Fender produced the Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster.
* In October 2016, approval was given to put up a statue of Gallagher on Bedford Street, near Ulster Hall in Belfast.
Selected discography
Gallagher released 14 solo albums during his lifetime, which included three live albums:
*'' Rory Gallagher'' (1971)
*'' Deuce'' (1971)
*'' Live in Europe'' (1972)
*'' Blueprint'' (1973)
*'' Tattoo'' (1973)
*'' Irish Tour '74'' (1974)
*'' Against the Grain'' (1975)
*'' Calling Card'' (1976)
*''Photo-Finish
A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the finis ...
'' (1978)
*''Top Priority
''Top Priority'' is Rory Gallagher's eighth studio album and tenth album overall. It was his fourth and final studio album for Chrysalis Records both in the UK and USA. The album was the second with his revised power trio band. Like the previous ...
'' (1979)
*'' Stage Struck'' (1980)
*'' Jinx'' (1982)
*'' Defender'' (1987)
*''Fresh Evidence
''Fresh Evidence'' is Rory Gallagher's eleventh and last studio album, his fourteenth album overall. The album was unusual in that Gallagher used more additional musicians and spent more time recording than he normally did. Not as unusual, the so ...
'' (1990)
See also
*List of people on stamps of Ireland
This is a list of people on stamps of Ireland, including the years when they appeared on a stamp.
Because no Irish stamps were designed prior to 1929, the first Irish stamps issued by the Provisional Government of Ireland were the then-current B ...
(2002)
* List of blues musicians
References
External links
Official Rory Gallagher website
Rory Live – using a BOSS ME-5 into a cranked VOX AC30
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Rory
1948 births
1995 deaths
Blues rock musicians
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Harmonica blues musicians
Infectious disease deaths in England
Irish songwriters
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Musicians from County Donegal
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