Gary Moore
Encyclopedia
Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 1952 – 6 February 2011), better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish
musician
from Belfast
, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer.
In a career dating back to the 1960s, Moore played with artists including Phil Lynott
and Brian Downey
during his teens, leading him to memberships with the Irish bands Skid Row and Thin Lizzy
on three separate occasions. Moore shared the stage with such blues and rock luminaries as B.B. King, Albert King
, Colosseum II
, George Harrison
and Greg Lake
, as well as having a successful solo career. He guested on a number of albums recorded by high profile musicians, including a cameo appearance
playing the lead guitar solo on "She's My Baby" from Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3
.
Moore died of a heart attack in his hotel room while on holiday in Estepona
, Spain, in February 2011.
, Elvis Presley
, The Shadows
and The Beatles
. Later, having seen Jimi Hendrix
and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in his home town of Belfast, his own style was developing into a blues-rock sound that would be the dominant form of his career in music.
Moore's greatest influence in the early days was guitarist Peter Green
of Fleetwood Mac
who was a mentor to Moore when performing in Dublin. Green's continued influence on Moore was later repaid as a tribute to Green on his 1995 album Blues for Greeny
, an album consisting entirely of Green compositions. On this tribute album, Moore played Green's 1959 Les Paul
Standard guitar which Green had lent to Moore after leaving Fleetwood Mac. Moore ultimately purchased the guitar, at Green's request, so that "it would have a good home".
While less popular in the US, Moore's work "brought substantial acclaim and commercial success in most other parts of the world – especially in Europe". Throughout his career, Moore was recognised as an influence by many notable guitarists including Vivian Campbell
, Patrick Rondat
, John Norum
, Paul Gilbert
, Gus G, Slash
, Orianthi
, Joe Bonamassa
, Adrian Smith
, Zakk Wylde
, Randy Rhoads
, John Sykes
and Kirk Hammett
He collaborated with a broad range of artists including Phil Lynott
, George Harrison
, Trilok Gurtu, Dr. Strangely Strange
, Colosseum II
, Travelling Wilburys, Albert Collins
, Jimmy Nail
, Mo Foster
, Ginger Baker
, Jack Bruce
, Jim Capaldi
, B.B. King, Bob Dylan
, Vicki Brown
, Cozy Powell
, Rod Argent
, the Beach Boys
, Ozzy Osbourne
, Paul Rodgers
, Keith Emerson
, Roger Daltrey
, Albert King
and together with Colosseum II
with Andrew Lloyd Webber
on the composer's Variations album in 1978. He experimented with many musical genre
s, including rock, jazz
, blues
, country
, electric blues
, hard rock
and heavy metal
.
In 1968, aged 16, Moore moved to Dublin to join the group Skid Row with Noel Bridgeman and Brendan "Brush" Shiels
. It was with this group that he earned a reputation in the music industry, and his association with Phil Lynott
began.
", which reached the Top Ten in the UK Singles Chart
in April 1979 and the Thin Lizzy
album Black Rose: A Rock Legend
which reached number two in the UK album chart. Moore appears in the videos for Waiting for an Alibi
and Do Anything You Want To.
In 1987, he collaborated on the UK charity record "Let It Be", a cover
of the Beatles track. He performed a guitar solo for inclusion on the recording, which was released under the group-name of 'Ferry Aid'. The record raised substantial funds for the survivors of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.
In 1993, he was included on a cassette called Rock Classics Vol. 1 with "Run to Your Mama", and "Dark Side of the Moog".
After a series of rock records, Moore returned to blues music with Still Got the Blues
, with contributions from Albert King
, Albert Collins
and George Harrison
. The album was well received by fans. He stayed with the blues format until 1997, when he decided to experiment with modern dance beats on Dark Days in Paradise
; this left many fans, as well as the music press, confused. He also contributed guitar sections to Richard Blackwood
's 2000 album, You'll Love to Hate This.
With Back to the Blues
, Moore returned to his tried and tested blues format in 2001: he continued with this style on Power of the Blues
(2004), Old New Ballads Blues
(2006), Close As You Get
(2007) and Bad For You Baby
(2008).
In January 2005, Moore joined the One World Project
, which recorded a song for the 2004 Asian Tsunami relief effort. The group featured Russell Watson, Boy George, Steve Winwood, Barry Gibb, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Robin Gibb on vocals (in their order of appearance), and featured a guitar solo by Moore. The song, entitled "Grief Never Grows Old", was released in February 2005, reaching #4 on the UK Singles Chart.
In what has been described as "a brave and principled stand", Gary declared his support for the cultural boycott of Israel. At a press conference in Russia he announced that he would not visit the ‘criminal state’ of Israel ‘because of its racist policies against the Palestinian people’.
He also took part in a comedy skit entitled "The Easy Guitar Book Sketch" with comedian Rowland Rivron
and fellow musicians Mark Knopfler
, Lemmy from Motorhead, Mark King
from Level 42, and David Gilmour
.
were starting in Northern Ireland.
Aiming to become a musician he moved to Dublin at the age of 16 and joined Skid Row, a band that then included Phil Lynott. Moore would later join Lynott again in 1973 when he first joined Thin Lizzy, after the departure of founding member Eric Bell and again in 1977. He moved to England in 1970 and remained there, apart from two short periods in America. In 2002 he bought a five-bedroom detached Edwardian house in Hove, just west of Brighton, Sussex, to be near his sons, Jack and Gus, from his former marriage which had lasted from 1985 to 1993. Since 1997 he was living with his partner, an artist named Jo, and their daughter Lily (b. 1999) and Saoirse. His residence was reported to be on Vallance Gardens in Hove
, East Sussex.
, Spain, with his girlfriend, who raised the alarm at 4:00 am. His death was confirmed by Thin Lizzy
's manager Adam Parsons.
mi, Bob Geldof, Roger Taylor, Brian Downey, Andy DiGelsomina, Ricky Warwick, Glenn Hughes, Bryan Adams, Henry Rollins, Scott Gorham, Ignacio Garay, Mikael Åkerfeldt. In March 2011 Guitarist
produced their tribute special with unreleased footage from 2009. Musicians including Former Thin Lizzy Guitarist Eric Bell, Silverbird and Mick and Dave Pyro from the Republic of Loose on the 18 April, gathered for a tribute concert in Whelans bar in Dublin, Ireland entitled 'The Gig For Gary'.
Fans have called for popular magazines such as Classic Rock
, Guitarist
and Total Guitar to do tributes. Twitter was flooded with tributes from fans for several days after the news was revealed.
Tributes:
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer.
In a career dating back to the 1960s, Moore played with artists including Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
and Brian Downey
Brian Downey (drummer)
Brian Michael Downey is an Irish drummer.Downey is the drummer and a founding member of the rock band Thin Lizzy, and a friend from childhood of co-founder and frontman Phil Lynott. Along with Lynott, Downey was the only constant member of the pioneering hard rock group until their break-up in...
during his teens, leading him to memberships with the Irish bands Skid Row and Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
on three separate occasions. Moore shared the stage with such blues and rock luminaries as B.B. King, Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
, Colosseum II
Colosseum II
Colosseum II was a British band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore was named. Rehearsals were due to...
, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
and Greg Lake
Greg Lake
Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...
, as well as having a successful solo career. He guested on a number of albums recorded by high profile musicians, including a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
playing the lead guitar solo on "She's My Baby" from Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 is the 1990 follow-up album by the supergroup Traveling Wilburys to their 1988 debut Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1.-History:...
.
Moore died of a heart attack in his hotel room while on holiday in Estepona
Estepona
Estepona is a town and municipality in the region of the Costa del Sol, southern Spain. It is located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline...
, Spain, in February 2011.
Early life and career
Moore started performing at a young age, having picked up a battered acoustic guitar at the age of eight. He got his first quality guitar at the age of 14, learning to play the right-handed instrument in the standard way despite being left-handed. He moved to Dublin in 1968 at the age of 16. His early musical influences were artists such as Albert KingAlbert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. Later, having seen Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in his home town of Belfast, his own style was developing into a blues-rock sound that would be the dominant form of his career in music.
Moore's greatest influence in the early days was guitarist Peter Green
Peter Green (musician)
Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
who was a mentor to Moore when performing in Dublin. Green's continued influence on Moore was later repaid as a tribute to Green on his 1995 album Blues for Greeny
Blues for Greeny
Blues For Greeny is a 1995 cover album by Gary Moore in honour of Peter Green, founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.-Track listing:#"If You Be My Baby" Blues For Greeny is a 1995 cover album by Gary Moore in honour of Peter Green, founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.-Track listing:#"If You Be My Baby"...
, an album consisting entirely of Green compositions. On this tribute album, Moore played Green's 1959 Les Paul
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
Standard guitar which Green had lent to Moore after leaving Fleetwood Mac. Moore ultimately purchased the guitar, at Green's request, so that "it would have a good home".
While less popular in the US, Moore's work "brought substantial acclaim and commercial success in most other parts of the world – especially in Europe". Throughout his career, Moore was recognised as an influence by many notable guitarists including Vivian Campbell
Vivian Campbell
Vivian Patrick Campbell is a Northern Irish rock guitarist who is a member of Def Leppard and was, from May 2010 to November 2011, a member of Thin Lizzy. Prior to joining Def Leppard in April 1992, he had been a member of Whitesnake, Sweet Savage, Trinity, Riverdogs, and Shadow King...
, Patrick Rondat
Patrick Rondat
Patrick Rondat is a French guitarist. He plays instrumental heavy metal associated with diverse influences such as new age music, progressive metal, classical music and jazz. He appears in some shows by Jean Michel Jarre.-Biography:...
, John Norum
John Norum
John Norum is a rock music guitarist and founder of the Swedish band Europe . Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project...
, Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Paul Brandon Gilbert is an American guitarist. He is well known for his technical guitar work with Racer X and Mr...
, Gus G, Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
, Orianthi
Orianthi
Orianthi Panagaris , better known simply as Orianthi, is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist. She is perhaps best known for being Michael Jackson's lead guitarist for his ill-fated This Is It concert series. Her debut single "According to You" has peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8...
, Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist and singer.-Early life:Bonamassa was born and raised in New Hartford, United States. His parents owned and ran a guitar shop. He is a fourth-generation musician...
, Adrian Smith
Adrian Smith
Adrian Frederick "H" Smith is an English musician and one of three guitarists in the heavy metal band, Iron Maiden. He is also one of the band's regular songwriters and, along with bassist Steve Harris, performs backing vocals on some songs.-Biography:While at school, Smith purchased his first...
, Zakk Wylde
Zakk Wylde
Zachary Phillip Wylde , best known by the stage name Zakk Wylde, is an American musician, songwriter, and occasional actor who is best known as the former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne and founder of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He was the lead guitarist and vocalist in Pride & Glory,...
, Randy Rhoads
Randy Rhoads
Randall William "Randy" Rhoads was an American heavy metal guitarist who played with Ozzy Osbourne and Quiet Riot. A devoted student of classical guitar, Rhoads often combined his classical music influences with his own heavy metal style. While on tour with Ozzy Osbourne, he would seek out...
, John Sykes
John Sykes
John James Sykes , is an English rock guitarist, who has played with Streetfighter, Tygers of Pan Tang, John Sloman's Badlands, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder, in addition to having a notable solo career....
and Kirk Hammett
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
He collaborated with a broad range of artists including Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
, George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, Trilok Gurtu, Dr. Strangely Strange
Dr. Strangely Strange
Dr. Strangely Strange were an experimental Irish folk group, formed in Dublin in 1967 by Tim Booth , vocals and guitar, and Ivan Pawle bass and keyboards.-Career:...
, Colosseum II
Colosseum II
Colosseum II was a British band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore was named. Rehearsals were due to...
, Travelling Wilburys, Albert Collins
Albert Collins
Albert Collins was an American electric blues guitarist and singer whose recording career began in the 1960s in Houston and whose fame eventually took him to stages across the US, Europe, Japan and Australia...
, Jimmy Nail
Jimmy Nail
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
, Mo Foster
Mo Foster
Mo Foster is a British session musician, playing primarily jazz, jazz-fusion and rock bass guitar. He is also a music producer and songwriter/composer. In over 40 years as a musician Foster has played on and produced countless albums, singles, and film soundtracks...
, Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
, Jack Bruce
Jack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
, Jim Capaldi
Jim Capaldi
Nicola James "Jim" Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States...
, B.B. King, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Vicki Brown
Vicki Brown (singer)
Vicki Brown was an English pop, rock and contemporary classical singer. She is best known for her membership of both The Vernons Girls and The Breakaways, and as one of the UK's most enduring backing vocalists...
, Cozy Powell
Cozy Powell
Colin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
, Rod Argent
Rod Argent
Rod Argent is an English rock musician and a founding member of the 1960s English pop group The Zombies and the 1970s band Argent....
, the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
, Keith Emerson
Keith Emerson
Keith Noel Emerson is an English keyboard player and composer. Formerly a member of the Keith Emerson Trio, John Brown's Bodies, The T-Bones, V.I.P.s, P.P. Arnold's backing band, and The Nice , he was a founder of Emerson, Lake & Palmer , one of the early supergroups, in 1970...
, Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
and together with Colosseum II
Colosseum II
Colosseum II was a British band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore was named. Rehearsals were due to...
with Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
on the composer's Variations album in 1978. He experimented with many musical genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, including rock, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, electric blues
Electric blues
Electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica. Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in Chicago in the 1940s. It was taken up in many areas of America leading to the development of regional subgenres...
, hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
.
In 1968, aged 16, Moore moved to Dublin to join the group Skid Row with Noel Bridgeman and Brendan "Brush" Shiels
Brush Shiels
Brendan "Brush" Shiels is an Irish musician from County Dublin, best known for being the frontman of Gary Moore's first band, Skid Row. Brush Shiels had a TV show on RTÉ called Off yer Brush and was at one point managed by Louis Walsh...
. It was with this group that he earned a reputation in the music industry, and his association with Phil Lynott
Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott was an Irish musician who first came to prominence as a founding member, principal songwriter, and frontman of the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy....
began.
Solo career
Moore released his first solo album in 1973, Grinding Stone (billed as "the Gary Moore Band"). 'Grinding Stone' was issued in North America on Neil Kempfer-Stocker's fledgling record label imprint Cosmos. It received 'Album of the Year' accolades on KTAC-FM/Seattle-Tacoma, Washington in 1974. In 1978 his solo career continued with help from Phil Lynott. The combination of Moore's blues-based guitar and Lynott's voice produced "Parisienne WalkwaysParisienne Walkways (song)
"Parisienne Walkways" is a song by the guitarist Gary Moore that reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1979. The song is a track from the album Back on the Streets and features a vocal from Thin Lizzy front man, Phil Lynott, who co-wrote the song with Moore.The guitarist continued to play...
", which reached the Top Ten in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in April 1979 and the Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
album Black Rose: A Rock Legend
Black Rose: A Rock Legend
Black Rose: A Rock Legend is the ninth studio album by Irish band Thin Lizzy. Released in 1979, it has been described as one of the band's "greatest, most successful albums"....
which reached number two in the UK album chart. Moore appears in the videos for Waiting for an Alibi
Waiting for an Alibi
"Waiting for an Alibi" is a song by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, and the first single from their 1979 album, Black Rose: A Rock Legend. Black Rose was the only Thin Lizzy album recorded while Gary Moore was a member of the band, although he left soon after.The song was released as a single reaching...
and Do Anything You Want To.
In 1987, he collaborated on the UK charity record "Let It Be", a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the Beatles track. He performed a guitar solo for inclusion on the recording, which was released under the group-name of 'Ferry Aid'. The record raised substantial funds for the survivors of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.
In 1993, he was included on a cassette called Rock Classics Vol. 1 with "Run to Your Mama", and "Dark Side of the Moog".
After a series of rock records, Moore returned to blues music with Still Got the Blues
Still Got the Blues
Still Got the Blues is a 1990 album by guitarist Gary Moore. Prior to this album Moore's work had consisted of predominantly jazz-fusion with Colosseum II and rock and hard rock styles including his work with Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, G-Force as well as a large repertoire of solo work...
, with contributions from Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
, Albert Collins
Albert Collins
Albert Collins was an American electric blues guitarist and singer whose recording career began in the 1960s in Houston and whose fame eventually took him to stages across the US, Europe, Japan and Australia...
and George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
. The album was well received by fans. He stayed with the blues format until 1997, when he decided to experiment with modern dance beats on Dark Days in Paradise
Dark Days in Paradise
Dark Days in Paradise is a 1997 album by blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Gary Moore.- Track listing :All songs written by Gary Moore.# "One Good Reason" – 3:02# "Cold Wind Blows" – 5:26# "I Have Found My Love in You" – 4:53...
; this left many fans, as well as the music press, confused. He also contributed guitar sections to Richard Blackwood
Richard Blackwood
Richard Blackwood , is an English comedian, media personality, occasional actor and MC. Blackwood is step-brother of Naomi Campbell after his father was married to her mother for a time...
's 2000 album, You'll Love to Hate This.
With Back to the Blues
Back to the Blues
Back to the Blues is a 2001 album by blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Gary Moore.-Track listing:#"Enough of the Blues" – 4:47#"You Upset Me Baby" – 3:13#"Cold Black Night" – 4:18#"Stormy Monday" – 6:53#"I Ain't Got You" – 2:53...
, Moore returned to his tried and tested blues format in 2001: he continued with this style on Power of the Blues
Power of the Blues
Power of the Blues is an album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore, released in 2004.-Track listing:*Music and lyrics by Gary Moore, unless otherwise noted.#"Power of the Blues" – 2:30...
(2004), Old New Ballads Blues
Old New Ballads Blues
Old, New, Ballads, Blues is a 2006 album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore.-Track listing:#"Done Somebody Wrong" - 3:07#"You Know My Love" - 7:17...
(2006), Close As You Get
Close As You Get
Close As You Get is a 2007 album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore. The album reunited Moore with his former Thin Lizzy colleague, drummer Brian Downey who played on all the tracks.-Track listing:...
(2007) and Bad For You Baby
Bad For You Baby
Bad For You Baby is a 2008 album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore. It was the last studio album recorded by Moore; he died on 6 February 2011.-Track listing:#"Bad for You Baby" #"Down the Line"...
(2008).
In January 2005, Moore joined the One World Project
One World Project
One World Project was a musical supergroup which recorded a song for the 2004 Asian Tsunami relief effort. It featured Russell Watson, Boy George, Steve Winwood, Barry Gibb, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Robin Gibb on vocals with Jeffrey Foskett and Randell Kirsch...
, which recorded a song for the 2004 Asian Tsunami relief effort. The group featured Russell Watson, Boy George, Steve Winwood, Barry Gibb, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Robin Gibb on vocals (in their order of appearance), and featured a guitar solo by Moore. The song, entitled "Grief Never Grows Old", was released in February 2005, reaching #4 on the UK Singles Chart.
In what has been described as "a brave and principled stand", Gary declared his support for the cultural boycott of Israel. At a press conference in Russia he announced that he would not visit the ‘criminal state’ of Israel ‘because of its racist policies against the Palestinian people’.
He also took part in a comedy skit entitled "The Easy Guitar Book Sketch" with comedian Rowland Rivron
Rowland Rivron
Rowland J. Rivron is a British comedian, musician, writer and television presenter.-Early life: Rivron was brought up in Hillingdon, West London and attended Abbotsfield Secondary School...
and fellow musicians Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
, Lemmy from Motorhead, Mark King
Mark King (musician)
Mark King is an English musician. He is most famous for being the lead singer and bassist of the band, Level 42. In the early 1980s King popularized the 1970s-era slap and pop style for playing the bass guitar by incorporating it into pop music.-Early life:King was brought up on the Isle of Wight,...
from Level 42, and David Gilmour
David Gilmour
David Jon Gilmour, CBE, D.M. is an English rock musician and multi-instrumentalist who is best known as the guitarist, one of the lead singers and main songwriters in the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has worked as a producer for a variety of...
.
Personal life
Moore grew up on Castleview Road opposite Stormont's Parliament Buildings, off the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast, as one of five children of a promoter named Bobby and housewife, Winnie, but he left the city as a teenager, because all was not well in their household. His parents parted a year later. He left just as The TroublesThe Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
were starting in Northern Ireland.
Aiming to become a musician he moved to Dublin at the age of 16 and joined Skid Row, a band that then included Phil Lynott. Moore would later join Lynott again in 1973 when he first joined Thin Lizzy, after the departure of founding member Eric Bell and again in 1977. He moved to England in 1970 and remained there, apart from two short periods in America. In 2002 he bought a five-bedroom detached Edwardian house in Hove, just west of Brighton, Sussex, to be near his sons, Jack and Gus, from his former marriage which had lasted from 1985 to 1993. Since 1997 he was living with his partner, an artist named Jo, and their daughter Lily (b. 1999) and Saoirse. His residence was reported to be on Vallance Gardens in Hove
Hove
Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...
, East Sussex.
Death
Gary Moore died of a suspected heart attack, at the age of 58 during the early hours of 6 February 2011. At the time, he was on holiday at the Kempinski Hotel in EsteponaEstepona
Estepona is a town and municipality in the region of the Costa del Sol, southern Spain. It is located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline...
, Spain, with his girlfriend, who raised the alarm at 4:00 am. His death was confirmed by Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums...
's manager Adam Parsons.
Legacy
Since his death, many fellow musicians have commented on Gary Moore's talents including Ozzy Osbourne, Eric Singer, Doug Aldrich, Tmi, Bob Geldof, Roger Taylor, Brian Downey, Andy DiGelsomina, Ricky Warwick, Glenn Hughes, Bryan Adams, Henry Rollins, Scott Gorham, Ignacio Garay, Mikael Åkerfeldt. In March 2011 Guitarist
Guitarist (magazine)
Guitarist is a monthly music making magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. The magazine features reviews of newly released guitars, amplifiers and other equipment, plus interviews with guitar players, features on the guitar industry, news articles, and features on playing...
produced their tribute special with unreleased footage from 2009. Musicians including Former Thin Lizzy Guitarist Eric Bell, Silverbird and Mick and Dave Pyro from the Republic of Loose on the 18 April, gathered for a tribute concert in Whelans bar in Dublin, Ireland entitled 'The Gig For Gary'.
Fans have called for popular magazines such as Classic Rock
Classic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
, Guitarist
Guitarist (magazine)
Guitarist is a monthly music making magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. The magazine features reviews of newly released guitars, amplifiers and other equipment, plus interviews with guitar players, features on the guitar industry, news articles, and features on playing...
and Total Guitar to do tributes. Twitter was flooded with tributes from fans for several days after the news was revealed.
Discography
- Grinding Stone (1973)
- Back on the Streets (1978)
- G-ForceG-Force (Gary Moore album)G-Force is a 1980 album by the namesake UK-American band led by Gary Moore. Moore was on an American tour with Thin Lizzy and left the band mid-tour. He went to Los Angeles in an attempt to make a solo rock presence...
(1980) - Corridors of Power (1982)
- Dirty FingersDirty FingersDirty Fingers is an album by Gary Moore. It was recorded in 1981, shortly after disbanding G-Force and released in 1983 in Japan, where Gary was extremely popular, and 1984 in Europe.-Track listing:All songs by Gary Moore except as noted....
(1984) - Victims of the FutureVictims of the FutureVictims of the Future is an album by Northern Irish blues-rock guitarist, Gary Moore, released in 1984. Continuing his path in the hard rock genre, Victims of the Future was a collection of straight-out rock 'n' roll anthems , a mournful love ballad , a...
(1984) - Run for CoverRun for Cover (album)Run For Cover is an album by Gary Moore, released in 1985, and is often considered as Gary Moore's breakthrough album.The album includes a remake of the hit single "Empty Rooms" , one of Moore's biggest successes and top 5 single "Out in the Fields" the album's biggest selling single.The album...
(1985) - Wild FrontierWild FrontierWild Frontier is a 1987 album by Gary Moore. His first studio album after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985, this album has several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The title track was intended to be sung by Phil Lynott, however...
(1987) - After the War (1989)
- Still Got the BluesStill Got the BluesStill Got the Blues is a 1990 album by guitarist Gary Moore. Prior to this album Moore's work had consisted of predominantly jazz-fusion with Colosseum II and rock and hard rock styles including his work with Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, G-Force as well as a large repertoire of solo work...
(1990) - After Hours (1992)
- Blues for GreenyBlues for GreenyBlues For Greeny is a 1995 cover album by Gary Moore in honour of Peter Green, founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.-Track listing:#"If You Be My Baby" Blues For Greeny is a 1995 cover album by Gary Moore in honour of Peter Green, founder of the band Fleetwood Mac.-Track listing:#"If You Be My Baby"...
(1995) - Dark Days in ParadiseDark Days in ParadiseDark Days in Paradise is a 1997 album by blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Gary Moore.- Track listing :All songs written by Gary Moore.# "One Good Reason" – 3:02# "Cold Wind Blows" – 5:26# "I Have Found My Love in You" – 4:53...
(1997) - A Different Beat (1999)
- Back to the BluesBack to the BluesBack to the Blues is a 2001 album by blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Gary Moore.-Track listing:#"Enough of the Blues" – 4:47#"You Upset Me Baby" – 3:13#"Cold Black Night" – 4:18#"Stormy Monday" – 6:53#"I Ain't Got You" – 2:53...
(2001) - Scars (2002)
- Power of the BluesPower of the BluesPower of the Blues is an album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore, released in 2004.-Track listing:*Music and lyrics by Gary Moore, unless otherwise noted.#"Power of the Blues" – 2:30...
(2004) - Old New Ballads BluesOld New Ballads BluesOld, New, Ballads, Blues is a 2006 album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore.-Track listing:#"Done Somebody Wrong" - 3:07#"You Know My Love" - 7:17...
(2006) - Close As You GetClose As You GetClose As You Get is a 2007 album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore. The album reunited Moore with his former Thin Lizzy colleague, drummer Brian Downey who played on all the tracks.-Track listing:...
(2007) - Bad for You BabyBad For You BabyBad For You Baby is a 2008 album by Northern Irish blues guitarist and singer Gary Moore. It was the last studio album recorded by Moore; he died on 6 February 2011.-Track listing:#"Bad for You Baby" #"Down the Line"...
(2008)
Tributes:
- We Want Moore! - Gary Moore Tribute (Lion Music 2004)