Rory Gallagher
Encyclopedia
William Rory Gallagher, icon ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock
multi-instrumentalist
, songwriter
, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon
, County Donegal
, Ireland
, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste
during the late 1960s. A talented guitar
ist known for his charisma
tic performances and dedication to his craft, Gallagher's albums have sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide. Gallagher received a liver transplant in 1995, but died of complications later that year in London
, England
aged 47.
, where his younger brother Dónal was born in 1949, and then to Cork
, where the two brothers were raised, and where Rory attended the North Monastery School
. Their father had played the accordion
and sang with the Tir Chonaill Ceile Band whilst 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: at age nine, Gallagher received his first guitar from them. He built on his burgeoning ability on ukelele in teaching himself to play the guitar and perform at minor functions. After winning a talent contest when he was twelve, Gallagher began performing in his adolescence with both his acoustic guitar
, and an electric guitar
he bought with his prize money. However, it was his purchase three years later of a 1961 Fender Stratocaster
for £100 that became his primary instrument most associated with him for the span of his lifetime. Gallagher was initially attracted to skiffle
after hearing Lonnie Donegan
on the radio; Donegan frequently covered
blues
and folk
performers from the United States. Subsequently, Gallagher 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. Influences he discovered, and cited as he progressed, included Woody Guthrie
, Big Bill Broonzy
, and Lead Belly. Initially, Gallagher struck out after just an acoustic sound. Singing and later using a brace for his harmonica
, Gallagher began to learn to play slide guitar
. Throughout the next few years of his musical development, Gallagher began learning to play on the alto saxophone
, bass
, mandolin
, banjo
, and the coral sitar with varying degrees of proficiency. He found it difficult to track down the names of the authors of the blues songs that he heard; usually through the likes of skiffle
musicians like Lonnie Donegan
. He relied entirely on radio programs and television. Occasionally, the jazz programs from 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 song
s by Buddy Holly
and Eddie Cochran
, he discovered his greatest influence in Muddy Waters
. By his mid-teens, he began experimenting heavily with different blues styles.
Gallagher began playing after school with Irish showband
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
, giving him the opportunity to acquire songbooks for the guitar, where he found the names of the actual composers of blues songs, in addition to 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 popular music, skirting along some of Chuck Berry
's songs and by 1965, he had successfully molded Fontana into "The Impact", with a change in their lineup into an R&B
group that played gigs in Ireland and Spain until disbanding in London. Gallagher left with the bassist and drummer to perform as a trio in Hamburg, Germany. In 1966, Gallagher returned to Ireland and, experimenting with other musicians back home in Cork, decided to form his own band.
during the early 1960s, Gallagher formed "The Taste", which was later renamed simply, "Taste
", a blues rock and R&B power trio
, in 1966. Initially, the band was composed of Gallagher and two Cork musicians, Norman Damery and Eric Kitteringham, 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 United Kingdom, the group played regularly at the Marquee Club
, supporting both Cream
at their Royal Albert Hall
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 latter appeared long after the band's break-up, which occurred shortly after their appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival
.
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 his album, Deuce. In the same year he was voted Melody Maker
s International Top Musician of the Year, ahead of Eric Clapton
. However, despite a number of his albums from this period reaching the UK Albums Chart
, 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 world wide, it was his marathon live performances that won him greatest acclaim. He is documented in the 1974 film Irish Tour '74, directed by Tony Palmer. During the heightened periods of political unrest in Ireland, as other artists were warned not to tour, Gallagher was resolute about touring Ireland at least once a year during his career, winning him the dedication of thousands of fans, and in the process, becoming a role model for other aspiring young Irish musicians. Gallagher himself admitted in several interviews that at first there were not any international Irish acts until Van Morrison
, Gallagher, and later, Phil Lynott
and Thin Lizzy
grew popular during the 1970s.
The line-up which included Rod de'Ath
on drums and Lou Martin
on keyboards
, performed together between 1973 and 1978. However, he eventually dropped down to just bass, guitar and drums, and his act became a power trio
. Other releases from that period include Against the Grain
, Calling Card
, Photo-Finish
and Top Priority
. Gerry McAvoy has stated that 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, both in 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
live concert at the Grugahalle
, Essen, Germany in 1977.
Gallagher collaborated with Jerry Lee Lewis
and Muddy Waters on their respective London Sessions in the mid 1970s. He played on Lonnie Donegan's final album. He was David Coverdale
's second choice (after Jeff Beck
) to replace Ritchie Blackmore
in Deep Purple. Gallagher chose to perform in his own band.
In the 1980s he continued recording, producing Jinx
, Defender
, and Fresh Evidence
. After Fresh Evidence, he embarked on a tour of the United States. In addition he played with Box of Frogs
which was a band formed in 1983 by former members of The Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984. Former Yardbirds guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page also guested on their first and second albums, respectively. Becoming obsessive over details and plagued by self-doubt, Gallagher nevertheless retained a loyal fanbase. During this period he stated "I agonize too much".
An album of unreleased studio tracks and a San Francisco 1979 concert will be released in June 2011.
1970–1972: Gerry McAvoy
(bass guitar
), Wilgar Campbell
(drums)
1972–1976: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Lou Martin
(piano, keyboards), Rod de'Ath
(drums)
1976–1981: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Ted McKenna
(drums)
1981–1991: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Brendan O'Neil (drums) + frequent guest: Mark Feltham
(harmonica)
1992–1994: David Levy (bass), Jim Levaton (keyboards), John Cooke (keyboards), Richard Newman (drums) + frequent guest: Mark Feltham (harmonica)
Gallagher was always associated with his well-worn sunburst 1961 Stratocaster (Serial Number 64351), which his brother Donal has officially retired.
It was reputedly the first in Ireland, and was ordered from Fender by Jim Connolly, a showband member performing with The Irish Showband. Connolly ordered a cherry red Stratocaster through Crowley's music shop in Cork in 1963. When Fender shipped a sunburst Stratocaster instead, it went on sale as a second-hand instrument, which Gallagher bought for just shy of £100 at Crowley's Music Store on Cork
's McCurtain Street. Note: the shop was at 10 Merchants Quay at the time of purchase.
The guitar was extensively modified by Gallagher. The tuning pegs are odd (5 Sperzel pegs and one Gotoh), and all of these have been found to be replacements. Second, it is thought that the nut has been replaced and interchanged a number of times. Third, the scratchplate was changed during Gallagher's time with Taste.
The pickups—none of which are original—were also changed. The final modification was that of the wiring: Gallagher disconnected the bottom tone pot
and rewired it so he had just a master tone control along with the master volume control. He also installed a 5-way selector switch in place of the vintage 3-way one.
The most notable effect that years of touring have had is the almost complete removal of the guitar's original sunburst finish. Although the Strat was left abandoned in a ditch, in the rain, for days after being stolen, this is not believed to have caused any of the effect. All of the wear is caused by playing, not misuse.
It also had a period of time of having a replacement neck, with the original bowing due to the amount of moisture it absorbed during continuous touring. The neck was taken off the Strat and left to settle, and was eventually reunited with the Strat after returning to its correct shape. Other quirks include a 'hump' in the scratch plate which moves the neck pickup closer to the neck on the bass side, and a replacement of all of the pickups, though this replacement was due to damage rather than a perception of a tonal inadequacy.
One final point of interest is that one of the clay double-dot inlays at the 12th fret fell out and was replaced with a plastic one, which is why it is whiter than the other clay inlays.
On Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd of October 2011, Rory's brother Donal brought the guitar out of retirement in order to allow Joe Bonamassa
to perform with it on his two nights at the London Hammersmith Apollo. Joe opened both night's performances with his rendition of Cradle Rock using Rory's Stratocaster. Photos and video of the performance can be seen on the official Rory Gallagher website.
When Gallagher was with Taste
, he used a single Vox
AC30
with a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster plugged into the 'normal' input. Examples of this sound can be heard on the Taste albums, as well as the album Live in Europe. Brian May
, of the band Queen
, has admitted in interviews that as a young man, he was inspired to use a Vox AC30
and treble booster setup after meeting Gallagher and asking him how he got his sound. The British company, Flynn Amps, now makes a Rory Gallagher Signature Hawk Treble Booster pedal based on Gallagher's original unit. Gallagher also used Ibanez Tube Screamer
s, an MXR Dyna Comp, and various Boss effects, often using a Flanger and Octaver.
In the early to mid 1970s, Gallagher began to use Fender amplifiers in conjunction with a Hawk booster, most notably a Bassman and a Twin, both 1950s vintage. An example of this sound can be heard on the Irish Tour '74 album. He also had a Fender Concert amplifier.
In the mid to late 1970s, when Gallagher was moving towards a hard rock sound, he experimented with Ampeg
VT40 and VT22 amps. He also began using Marshall
combos. During this period and beyond, Gallagher used different combinations of amps on stage to achieve more power and to blend the tonal characteristics of different amps including Orange amplification.
Not that well known is his use of various german amplifiers. He Used Stramp 2100a amps, which can be seen in his appearances on the german Beat Club program. Another company that hand built amplifiers for Gallagher was PCL Vintage Amp. The company is located in St. Wendel in the Saarland
and they still produce high quality audio and guitar equipment.
, he was visibly sick. His cause of death was complications from a liver transplant
, that became necessary and was nearly successful; his health, however, quickly worsened due to a staph (MRSA) infection, and he died in London on 14 June 1995. 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. His headstone is a replica of an award he received in 1972 for International Guitarist of the Year.
, a collection of acoustic tracks, was released posthumously by Gallagher's brother Donal Gallagher. Collaborators on this album included Bert Jansch
, Martin Carthy
, The Dubliners
and Lonnie Donegan
.
Many modern day musicians, including The Edge
from U2
, Slash
of Guns N' Roses
, Johnny Marr
of the Smiths
, Davy Knowles
, Janick Gers
of Iron Maiden
, Glenn Tipton
of Judas Priest
, Vivian Campbell
of Def Leppard
, Gary Moore
and Joe Bonamassa
, cite Gallagher as an inspiration in their formative musical years.
Brian May
, lead guitarist of Queen
, 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." In 2010, Gallagher was ranked #42 on Gibson.com’s List of their Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.
the awe that a young Kirwan felt towards Gallagher
and expressing dismay at the loss of such a talent.
Blues-rock
Blues rock is a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles. The core of the blues rock sound is created by the electric guitar, piano, bass guitar and drum kit, with the electric guitar usually amplified through a...
multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located where the N3 and N15 cross the River Erne, and claims to be the oldest town in Ireland.-Location:...
, County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste
Taste (band)
Taste was an Irish rock and blues band formed in 1966 that gained fame in large part because of their unique style, and the talent and charisma of the band's founder, songwriter and musician Rory Gallagher...
during the late 1960s. A talented guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist known for his charisma
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
tic performances and dedication to his craft, Gallagher's albums have sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide. Gallagher received a liver transplant in 1995, but died of complications later that year in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
aged 47.
Biography
Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal; his father, Daniel, was employed by the Irish Electricity Supply Board, who were constructing a hydro-electric power plant on the Erne River above the town. The family moved, first to Derry CityDerry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, where his younger brother Dónal was born in 1949, and then to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, where the two brothers were raised, and where Rory attended the North Monastery School
The North Monastery
The North Monastery is a collection of primary, secondary and a Gaelcholáiste schools located at Our Lady's Mount, Cork City, Republic of Ireland.-History:...
. Their father had played the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
and sang with the Tir Chonaill Ceile Band whilst 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: at age nine, Gallagher received his first guitar from them. He built on his burgeoning ability on ukelele in teaching himself to play the guitar and perform at minor functions. After winning a talent contest when he was twelve, Gallagher began performing in his adolescence with both his acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, and an electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
he bought with his prize money. However, it was his purchase three years later of a 1961 Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
for £100 that became his primary instrument most associated with him for the span of his lifetime. Gallagher was initially attracted to skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
after hearing Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
on the radio; Donegan frequently covered
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...
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...
and folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
performers from the United States. Subsequently, Gallagher began experimenting with folk, blues, and rock music. Unable to find or afford record albums, Gallagher stayed up late to hear Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
and AFN
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network is the brand name used by the United States Armed Forces American Forces Radio and Television Service for its entertainment and command internal information networks worldwide...
where the radio brought him his only exposure to the actual songwriters and musicians whose music moved him most. Influences he discovered, and cited as he progressed, included Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
, Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Bill Broonzy was a prolific American blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. His career began in the 1920s when he played country blues to mostly black audiences. Through the ‘30s and ‘40s he successfully navigated a transition in style to a more urban blues sound popular with white audiences...
, and Lead Belly. Initially, Gallagher struck out after just an acoustic sound. Singing and later using a brace for his harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, Gallagher began to learn to play slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
. Throughout the next few years of his musical development, Gallagher began learning to play on the alto saxophone
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, and the coral sitar with varying degrees of proficiency. He found it difficult to track down the names of the authors of the blues songs that he heard; usually through the likes of skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
musicians like Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
. He relied entirely on radio programs and television. Occasionally, the jazz programs from the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
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 song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s by Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
and Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
, he discovered his greatest influence in Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
. By his mid-teens, he began experimenting heavily with different blues styles.
Gallagher began playing after school with Irish showband
Irish showband
The Irish Showband was a dance band format which was popular in Ireland during the early rock and roll era from mid 1950s to the late 1970s. The showband was based on the internationally popular six or seven piece dance band. The band's basic repertoire included standard dance numbers and cover...
s, while still a young teenager. In 1963, he joined one named Fontana, a sextet
Sextet
A sextet is a formation containing exactly six members. It is commonly associated with vocal or musical instrument groups, but can be applied to any situation where six similar or related objects are considered a single unit....
playing the popular hit songs
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
of the day. The band toured Ireland and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, giving him the opportunity to acquire songbooks for the guitar, where he found the names of the actual composers of blues songs, in addition to 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 popular music, skirting along some of Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
's songs and by 1965, he had successfully molded Fontana into "The Impact", with a change in their lineup into an R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
group that played gigs in Ireland and Spain until disbanding in London. Gallagher left with the bassist and drummer to perform as a trio in Hamburg, Germany. In 1966, Gallagher returned to Ireland and, experimenting with other musicians back home 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 groupsBeat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
during the early 1960s, Gallagher formed "The Taste", which was later renamed simply, "Taste
Taste (band)
Taste was an Irish rock and blues band formed in 1966 that gained fame in large part because of their unique style, and the talent and charisma of the band's founder, songwriter and musician Rory Gallagher...
", a blues rock and R&B power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
, in 1966. Initially, the band was composed of Gallagher and two Cork musicians, Norman Damery and Eric Kitteringham, 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 United Kingdom, the group played regularly at the Marquee Club
Marquee Club
The Marquee was a music club first located at 165 Oxford Street, London, England when it opened in 1958 with a range of jazz and skiffle acts.It was also the location of the first ever live performance by The Rolling Stones on 12 July 1962....
, supporting both Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
at their Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
farewell concert, and the blues supergroup Blind Faith
Blind Faith
Blind Faith were an English blues-rock band that consisted of Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and Ric Grech. The band, which was one of the first "super-groups", released their only album, Blind Faith, in August 1969...
on a tour of North America. Managed by Eddie Kennedy, the trio released the albums Taste and On The Boards
On the Boards (album)
On the Boards is the second album by Irish rock band Taste, released in 1970.-Track listing:#"What's Going On" – 2:48#"Railway and Gun" – 3:38#"It's Happened Before, It'll Happen Again" – 6:33#"If the Day Was Any Longer" – 2:10#"Morning Sun" – 2:39...
, and two live recordings, Live Taste
Live Taste
Live Taste is the third album and first live album by Irish rock band Taste, released in 1971. It was recorded live at Montreux Casino and released shortly after the band broke up.-Track listing:#"Sugar Mama" Live Taste is the third album and first live album by Irish rock band Taste, released in...
and Live at the Isle of Wight
Live at the Isle of Wight (Taste album)
Live at the Isle of Wight is the fourth album and second live album by Irish rock band Taste, released in 1971. It was recorded live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 and released after the band broke up.-Track listing:#"What's Going On" – 5:41...
. The latter appeared long after the band's break-up, which occurred shortly after their appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival 1970
The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival was held between 26 and 31 August 1970 at East Afton Farm an area on the western side of the Isle of Wight. It was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the island between 1968 and 1970 and widely acknowledged as the largest musical event of...
.
Solo career
After the break-up of Taste, Gallagher toured under his own name, hiring former Deep Joy bass player Gerry McAvoyGerry McAvoy
Gerry McAvoy is an Irish blues rock bass guitarist, who is best known for his twenty five year long friendship and professional association performing with Rory Gallagher between 1970 and 1991...
to play on Gallagher's self-titled debut album, Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher (album)
Rory Gallagher is the first solo album by Irish blues rock musician Rory Gallagher, released in 1971. It marked the departure from Taste, the first band which Gallagher founded, and the start of his solo career...
. It was the beginning of a twenty-year musical relationship between Gallagher and McAvoy; the other band member was drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Wilgar Campbell
Wilgar Campbell
Wilgar Campbell was an Irish blues rock musician, best known for his role as drummer with Rory Gallagher in the early 1970s.-Career:Campbell played with local band The Method, who moved to London in 1968 and became Andwella's Dream...
. 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
Irish Tour
Irish Tour '74 is a blues rock double-album by Rory Gallagher. The album was compiled from live recordings made at concerts on an Irish Tour in January 1974 at Belfast Ulster Hall, Dublin Carlton Cinema and Cork City Hall. "Back on My Stompin' Ground " was taken from a jam session during the tour...
. November 1971 saw the release of his album, Deuce. In the same year he was voted Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
s International Top Musician of the Year, ahead of Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
. However, despite a number of his albums from this period reaching the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, 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 world wide, it was his marathon live performances that won him greatest acclaim. He is documented in the 1974 film Irish Tour '74, directed by Tony Palmer. During the heightened periods of political unrest in Ireland, as other artists were warned not to tour, Gallagher was resolute about touring Ireland at least once a year during his career, winning him the dedication of thousands of fans, and in the process, becoming a role model for other aspiring young Irish musicians. Gallagher himself admitted in several interviews that at first there were not any international Irish acts until Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Gallagher, and later, 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 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...
grew popular during the 1970s.
The line-up which included Rod de'Ath
Rod de'Ath
Rod de'Ath , is a former musician, best known for his role as drummer with Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher in the 1970s....
on drums and Lou Martin
Lou Martin
Louis 'Lou' Martin Louis 'Lou' Martin Louis 'Lou' Martin (born 12 August 1949, Belfast, Northern Ireland is a piano and organ player, who is most famous for his work with the London-based band Killing Floor and fellow Irish musician Rory Gallagher....
on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, performed together between 1973 and 1978. However, he eventually dropped down to just bass, guitar and drums, and his act became a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
. Other releases from that period include Against the Grain
Against the Grain (Rory Gallagher album)
Against the Grain is a 1975 studio album by Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Rory Gallagher except where indicated.Side 1# "Let Me In" – 4:03# "Cross Me Off Your List" – 4:26...
, Calling Card
Calling Card
Calling Card is the sixth studio release by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher. A 1976 release, it was his second of four albums released on Chrysalis Records in the 1970s. Deep Purple/Rainbow bass guitarist Roger Glover co-produced with Gallagher: it was the only time that Gallagher worked...
, Photo-Finish
Photo-Finish
This article is about the album. For the Prison Break episode, see Photo Finish .Photo-Finish is the seventh studio album by Irish blues-rock musician Rory Gallagher...
and Top Priority
Top Priority
Top Priority is Rory Gallagher's eighth album.-Track listing:All titles composed by Rory Gallagher.#"Follow Me" – 4:40#"Philby" – 3:51#"Wayward Child" – 3:31#"Key Chain" – 4:09#"At the Depot" – 2:56#"Bad Penny" – 4:03#"Just Hit Town" – 3:37...
. Gerry McAvoy has stated that the Gallagher band performed several TV and radio shows across Europe, including Beat-Club
Beat-Club
Beat-Club was a German music program that ran from September 1965 to December 1972. It was broadcast from Bremen, Germany on Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen, the national public TV channel of the ARD, and produced by one of its members, Radio Bremen, later co-produced by WDR following the 38th episode...
in Bremen, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Old Grey Whistle Test
Old Grey Whistle Test
The Old Grey Whistle Test was an influential BBC2 television music show that ran from 1971 to 1987. It took over the BBC2 late night slot from "Disco Two", which had been running since January 1970, while continuing to feature non-chart music. It was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers...
. He recorded two Peel Sessions, both in February 1973 and containing the same tracks, but only the first was broadcast. Along with Little Feat
Little Feat
Little Feat is an American rock band formed by singer-songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist Lowell George and keyboardist Bill Payne in 1969 in Los Angeles....
and Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
, Gallagher performed the first Rockpalast
Rockpalast
Rockpalast is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk . Rockpalast started in 1974 and continues to this day. Hundreds of rock and jazz bands have performed on Rockpalast...
live concert at the Grugahalle
Grugahalle
Grugahalle is an indoor sports arena, located in Essen, Germany. Opened in 1958, the seating capacity of the arena is 5,309 people, for sporting events and 7,800, for concerts.It is currently home to the TUSEM Essen handball team....
, Essen, Germany in 1977.
Gallagher collaborated with Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
and Muddy Waters on their respective London Sessions in the mid 1970s. He played on Lonnie Donegan's final album. He was David Coverdale
David Coverdale
David 'Jack' Coverdale is an English rock singer, most famous for his work with the his own hard rock band Whitesnake which achieved massive commercial success.-Early life:...
's second choice (after Jeff Beck
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
) to replace Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
in Deep Purple. Gallagher chose to perform in his own band.
In the 1980s he continued recording, producing Jinx
Jinx (Rory Gallagher album)
Jinx is the ninth studio release by Irish musician Rory Gallagher. Released in 1982 it shows Gallagher's vocals, songwriting skills, and guitar chops with his unchanging blues rock style.-Track listing:#"Big Guns" – 3:28#"Bourbon" – 3:54...
, Defender
Defender (album)
Defender is the tenth studio release by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher.-Track listing:#"Kickback City"#"Loanshark Blues"#"Continental Op"#"I Ain't No Saint"#"Failsafe Day"#"Road to Hell"#"Doing Time"#"Smear Campaign"...
, and Fresh Evidence
Fresh Evidence
Fresh Evidence is Rory Gallagher's last recorded album. Gerry McAvoy, Gallagher's bass player, has referred to the guitar solo on the third track "Middle Name" as his personal favourite of all Gallagher's recorded solos. This song is said to have being composed by Gallagher in reference to John Lee...
. After Fresh Evidence, he embarked on a tour of the United States. In addition he played with Box of Frogs
Box of Frogs
Box of Frogs was a band formed in 1983 by former members of The Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984. The core group comprised Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty...
which was a band formed in 1983 by former members of The Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984. Former Yardbirds guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page also guested on their first and second albums, respectively. Becoming obsessive over details and plagued by self-doubt, Gallagher nevertheless retained a loyal fanbase. During this period he stated "I agonize too much".
An album of unreleased studio tracks and a San Francisco 1979 concert will be released in June 2011.
Band lineup
Rory Gallagher (guitar, vocals)1970–1972: Gerry McAvoy
Gerry McAvoy
Gerry McAvoy is an Irish blues rock bass guitarist, who is best known for his twenty five year long friendship and professional association performing with Rory Gallagher between 1970 and 1991...
(bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Wilgar Campbell
Wilgar Campbell
Wilgar Campbell was an Irish blues rock musician, best known for his role as drummer with Rory Gallagher in the early 1970s.-Career:Campbell played with local band The Method, who moved to London in 1968 and became Andwella's Dream...
(drums)
1972–1976: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Lou Martin
Lou Martin
Louis 'Lou' Martin Louis 'Lou' Martin Louis 'Lou' Martin (born 12 August 1949, Belfast, Northern Ireland is a piano and organ player, who is most famous for his work with the London-based band Killing Floor and fellow Irish musician Rory Gallagher....
(piano, keyboards), Rod de'Ath
Rod de'Ath
Rod de'Ath , is a former musician, best known for his role as drummer with Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher in the 1970s....
(drums)
1976–1981: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Ted McKenna
Ted McKenna
Edward 'Ted' McKenna , is a Scottish drummer who has played with the bands Tear Gas, Rory Gallagher, The Party Boys, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and The Michael Schenker Group. He also toured with Ian Gillan for a short period alongside fellow former SAHB bassist, Chris Glen...
(drums)
1981–1991: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Brendan O'Neil (drums) + frequent guest: Mark Feltham
Mark Feltham (musician)
Mark Feltham is an English musician best known for his harmonica playing. Feltham is a long term member of the British rhythm and blues band, Nine Below Zero, and Rory Gallagher's band; and is often utilised as a session musician.-Albums:*Nine Below Zero: Live at the Marquee ; Don't Point Your...
(harmonica)
1992–1994: David Levy (bass), Jim Levaton (keyboards), John Cooke (keyboards), Richard Newman (drums) + frequent guest: Mark Feltham (harmonica)
Gallagher's Stratocaster
It was reputedly the first in Ireland, and was ordered from Fender by Jim Connolly, a showband member performing with The Irish Showband. Connolly ordered a cherry red Stratocaster through Crowley's music shop in Cork in 1963. When Fender shipped a sunburst Stratocaster instead, it went on sale as a second-hand instrument, which Gallagher bought for just shy of £100 at Crowley's Music Store on Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
's McCurtain Street. Note: the shop was at 10 Merchants Quay at the time of purchase.
The guitar was extensively modified by Gallagher. The tuning pegs are odd (5 Sperzel pegs and one Gotoh), and all of these have been found to be replacements. Second, it is thought that the nut has been replaced and interchanged a number of times. Third, the scratchplate was changed during Gallagher's time with Taste.
The pickups—none of which are original—were also changed. The final modification was that of the wiring: Gallagher disconnected the bottom tone pot
Potentiometer
A potentiometer , informally, a pot, is a three-terminal resistor with a sliding contact that forms an adjustable voltage divider. If only two terminals are used , it acts as a variable resistor or rheostat. Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices such as volume controls on...
and rewired it so he had just a master tone control along with the master volume control. He also installed a 5-way selector switch in place of the vintage 3-way one.
The most notable effect that years of touring have had is the almost complete removal of the guitar's original sunburst finish. Although the Strat was left abandoned in a ditch, in the rain, for days after being stolen, this is not believed to have caused any of the effect. All of the wear is caused by playing, not misuse.
It also had a period of time of having a replacement neck, with the original bowing due to the amount of moisture it absorbed during continuous touring. The neck was taken off the Strat and left to settle, and was eventually reunited with the Strat after returning to its correct shape. Other quirks include a 'hump' in the scratch plate which moves the neck pickup closer to the neck on the bass side, and a replacement of all of the pickups, though this replacement was due to damage rather than a perception of a tonal inadequacy.
One final point of interest is that one of the clay double-dot inlays at the 12th fret fell out and was replaced with a plastic one, which is why it is whiter than the other clay inlays.
On Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd of October 2011, Rory's brother Donal brought the guitar out of retirement in order to allow 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...
to perform with it on his two nights at the London Hammersmith Apollo. Joe opened both night's performances with his rendition of Cradle Rock using Rory's Stratocaster. Photos and video of the performance can be seen on the official Rory Gallagher website.
Amplifiers and effects
Gallagher used various makes and models of amplifiers during his career. In general, however, he preferred smaller 'combo' amplifiers to the larger, more powerful 'stacks' popular with rock and hard rock guitarists. To make up for the relative lack of power on stage, he would often link several different combo amps together.When Gallagher was with Taste
Taste (band)
Taste was an Irish rock and blues band formed in 1966 that gained fame in large part because of their unique style, and the talent and charisma of the band's founder, songwriter and musician Rory Gallagher...
, he used a single Vox
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
AC30
Vox AC30
The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox and known for its "jangly" high-end sound. First introduced in 1958 due to the growing demand for higher-wattage amplifiers, it became an iconic amplifier for British musicians and soon for others....
with a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster plugged into the 'normal' input. Examples of this sound can be heard on the Taste albums, as well as the album Live in Europe. Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
, of the band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, has admitted in interviews that as a young man, he was inspired to use a Vox AC30
Vox AC30
The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox and known for its "jangly" high-end sound. First introduced in 1958 due to the growing demand for higher-wattage amplifiers, it became an iconic amplifier for British musicians and soon for others....
and treble booster setup after meeting Gallagher and asking him how he got his sound. The British company, Flynn Amps, now makes a Rory Gallagher Signature Hawk Treble Booster pedal based on Gallagher's original unit. Gallagher also used Ibanez Tube Screamer
Ibanez Tube Screamer
The Ibanez Tube Screamer is a guitar overdrive pedal, made by Ibanez. The pedal has a characteristic mid-boosted tone popular with blues players...
s, an MXR Dyna Comp, and various Boss effects, often using a Flanger and Octaver.
In the early to mid 1970s, Gallagher began to use Fender amplifiers in conjunction with a Hawk booster, most notably a Bassman and a Twin, both 1950s vintage. An example of this sound can be heard on the Irish Tour '74 album. He also had a Fender Concert amplifier.
In the mid to late 1970s, when Gallagher was moving towards a hard rock sound, he experimented with Ampeg
Ampeg
Ampeg is primarily a musical instrument amplifier manufacturer headquartered in Woodinville, Washington, though they also manufacture guitars to a small extent...
VT40 and VT22 amps. He also began using Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
combos. During this period and beyond, Gallagher used different combinations of amps on stage to achieve more power and to blend the tonal characteristics of different amps including Orange amplification.
Not that well known is his use of various german amplifiers. He Used Stramp 2100a amps, which can be seen in his appearances on the german Beat Club program. Another company that hand built amplifiers for Gallagher was PCL Vintage Amp. The company is located in St. Wendel in the Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
and they still produce high quality audio and guitar equipment.
Death
According to sources close to Rory, including his brother Donal, Rory had a great fear of flying. He also had a great deal of trust in doctors and medicine. Combinations of prescription medication and alcohol use resulted in severe liver damage. Despite this he continued touring. By the time of his final performance on 10 January 1995 in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, he was visibly sick. His cause of death was complications from a liver transplant
Liver transplantation
Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a diseased liver with a healthy liver allograft. The most commonly used technique is orthotopic transplantation, in which the native liver is removed and replaced by the donor organ in the same anatomic location as the original...
, that became necessary and was nearly successful; his health, however, quickly worsened due to a staph (MRSA) infection, and he died in London on 14 June 1995. He was unmarried and had no children.
Gallagher was buried in St Oliver's Cemetery, on the Clash Road just outside Ballincollig
Ballincollig
Ballincollig is a satellite town in County Cork, Ireland, approximately 9 km west of Cork city. It is located beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2006 the population of Ballincollig DED was 16,308. The nearest towns include: Ballinora, Ovens, Killumney, Inniscarra, Blarney ,...
near Cork City, Ireland. His headstone is a replica of an award he received in 1972 for International Guitarist of the Year.
Legacy
In 2003, Wheels Within WheelsWheels Within Wheels
Wheels Within Wheels is a blues-orientated acoustic rock album by Rory Gallagher. Featuring a range of acoustic styles including flamenco, skiffle and traditional Irish music, the album was compiled from lost recordings and outtakes by Gallagher's brother Donal and released posthumously...
, a collection of acoustic tracks, was released posthumously by Gallagher's brother Donal Gallagher. Collaborators on this album included Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
, Martin Carthy
Martin Carthy
Martin Carthy MBE is an English folk singer and guitarist who has remained one of the most influential figures in British traditional music, inspiring contemporaries such as Bob Dylan and Paul Simon and later artists such as Richard Thompson since he emerged as a young musician in the early days...
, The Dubliners
The Dubliners
The Dubliners are an Irish folk band founded in 1962.-Formation and history:The Dubliners, initially known as "The Ronnie Drew Ballad Group", formed in 1962 and made a name for themselves playing regularly in O'Donoghue's Pub in Dublin...
and Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
.
Many modern day musicians, including The Edge
The Edge
David Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
from U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, 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'...
of Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
of the Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, Davy Knowles
Davy Knowles
Davy Knowles is a blues guitarist and singer. Knowles, formerly of the blues-rock band Back Door Slam, is now working as a solo artist under the name Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam. With Back Door Slam, he played lead guitar and sang on their debut album, Roll Away...
, Janick Gers
Janick Gers
Janick Robert Gers is an English musician, best known for being one of the three current guitarists in Iron Maiden, along with Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, as well as his earlier work with Gillan and White Spirit.-Career and Personal Life:...
of Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Glenn Tipton
Glenn Tipton
Glenn Tipton is one of the Grammy Award-winning guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest...
of Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, 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...
of Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
, Gary Moore
Gary Moore
Robert William Gary Moore , better known simply as Gary Moore, was a Northern Irish musician from Belfast, best recognised as a blues rock guitarist and singer....
and 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...
, cite Gallagher as an inspiration in their formative musical years.
Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
, lead guitarist of Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, 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." In 2010, Gallagher was ranked #42 on Gibson.com’s List of their Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.
Tributes
- Jimi Hendrix was cited in a 1969 interview shortly after Woodstock: Interviewer: "So Jimi, what's it like to be the best guitarist in the world?" Jimi: "I don't know, ask Rory Gallagher".
- 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 was a childhood friend of Gallagher, Geraldine Creedon. The two grew up together in the McCurtain Street area of the city. The band who played at the unveiling of the statue was the Dave McHugh band, who formed Ireland's first tribute to Gallagher, 'Aftertaste' in 1995.
- There is a Rory Gallagher Corner at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, DublinTemple Bar, DublinTemple Bar is an area on the south bank of the River Liffey in central Dublin, Ireland. Unlike the areas surrounding it, Temple Bar has preserved its medieval street pattern, with many narrow cobbled streets. It is promoted as "Dublin's cultural quarter" and has a lively nightlife that is popular...
, where a life-size bronze statue in the shape of his Stratocaster has been installed. Some of those who attended the unveiling include The EdgeThe EdgeDavid Howell Evans , more widely known by his stage name The Edge , is a musician best known as the guitarist, backing vocalist, and keyboardist of the Irish rock band U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 12 studio albums with the band and has released one solo record...
of U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and the Lord Mayor of Dublin. - In 2004 the Rory Gallagher Music Library was opened in Cork.
- In 2006 a plaque was unveiled at the Ulster HallUlster HallThe Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade B1 listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences...
in Belfast. - A street in Ris-OrangisRis-OrangisRis-Orangis is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Inhabitants of Ris-Orangis are known as Rissois.-History:...
, a communeCommuneCommune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
in the southern suburbs of ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, was renamed Rue Rory Gallagher. - New York City-based Celtic rock band Black 47Black 47Black 47 are a New York City based celtic rock band with Irish Republican sympathies, whose music also shows influence from reggae, hip hop, folk and jazz...
paid tribute to Rory Gallagher on their 1996 major-label release, "Green Suede Shoes." The track titled "Rory" features vocalist/guitarist Larry KirwanLarry KirwanLarry Kirwan is an expatriate Irish writer and musician, most noted as the lead singer for the New York based Irish rock band, Black 47....
delivering a passionate and heart-felt tribute to Rory Gallagher's talent and unrealized stardom. The song lauds his musical prowess and potential greatness
- "Hey Rory, you're off to London
- Playing with a band called Taste ...
- On your night you could even leave Hendrix in the dust",
the awe that a young Kirwan felt towards Gallagher
- "Hero came back to Dublin
- ... long hair flyin'
- Blue denims dripping with sweat
- Bolts of lightenin' in your fingers
- Pride of bein' the best"
and expressing dismay at the loss of such a talent.
- Flynn Amps manufacture a Rory Gallagher signature Hawk pedal, cloned from Gallagher's 1970s pedal.
- On 2 June 2010, a life-sized bronze statue of Gallagher was unveiled in the town centre of Ballyshannon. An annual Blues festival is held in his honour at the same location.
Discography
- Rory GallagherRory Gallagher (album)Rory Gallagher is the first solo album by Irish blues rock musician Rory Gallagher, released in 1971. It marked the departure from Taste, the first band which Gallagher founded, and the start of his solo career...
– 1971 (BPIBritish Phonographic IndustryThe British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
: 100,000) - Deuce – 1971 (BPI: 100,000)
- Blueprint – 1973 (BPI: 100,000)
- Tattoo – 1973 (BPI: 100,000)
- Against the GrainAgainst the Grain (Rory Gallagher album)Against the Grain is a 1975 studio album by Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Rory Gallagher except where indicated.Side 1# "Let Me In" – 4:03# "Cross Me Off Your List" – 4:26...
– 1975 (BPI: 100,000) Rolling Stone review - Calling CardCalling CardCalling Card is the sixth studio release by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher. A 1976 release, it was his second of four albums released on Chrysalis Records in the 1970s. Deep Purple/Rainbow bass guitarist Roger Glover co-produced with Gallagher: it was the only time that Gallagher worked...
– 1976 (BPI: 60,000) Rolling Stone review - Photo-FinishPhoto-FinishThis article is about the album. For the Prison Break episode, see Photo Finish .Photo-Finish is the seventh studio album by Irish blues-rock musician Rory Gallagher...
– 1978 (BPI: 60,000) - Top PriorityTop PriorityTop Priority is Rory Gallagher's eighth album.-Track listing:All titles composed by Rory Gallagher.#"Follow Me" – 4:40#"Philby" – 3:51#"Wayward Child" – 3:31#"Key Chain" – 4:09#"At the Depot" – 2:56#"Bad Penny" – 4:03#"Just Hit Town" – 3:37...
– 1979 (BPI: 60,000) - JinxJinx (Rory Gallagher album)Jinx is the ninth studio release by Irish musician Rory Gallagher. Released in 1982 it shows Gallagher's vocals, songwriting skills, and guitar chops with his unchanging blues rock style.-Track listing:#"Big Guns" – 3:28#"Bourbon" – 3:54...
– 1982 (BPI: 60,000) - DefenderDefender (album)Defender is the tenth studio release by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher.-Track listing:#"Kickback City"#"Loanshark Blues"#"Continental Op"#"I Ain't No Saint"#"Failsafe Day"#"Road to Hell"#"Doing Time"#"Smear Campaign"...
– 1987 (BPI: 60,000) - Fresh EvidenceFresh EvidenceFresh Evidence is Rory Gallagher's last recorded album. Gerry McAvoy, Gallagher's bass player, has referred to the guitar solo on the third track "Middle Name" as his personal favourite of all Gallagher's recorded solos. This song is said to have being composed by Gallagher in reference to John Lee...
– 1990 (BPI: 60,000) - Wheels Within WheelsWheels Within WheelsWheels Within Wheels is a blues-orientated acoustic rock album by Rory Gallagher. Featuring a range of acoustic styles including flamenco, skiffle and traditional Irish music, the album was compiled from lost recordings and outtakes by Gallagher's brother Donal and released posthumously...
– 2003 - Notes From San Francisco-2011