William Rory Gallagher
(March 2nd 1948 – June 14th 1995)
was an
Irish musician,
singer, and songwriter.
Regarded as
"Ireland's first rock star",
he is known for his
virtuosic style of
guitar playing
and
live performances.
He has sometimes
been referred to as
"the greatest guitarist
you've never heard of".
Gallagher gained
international recognition
in the late 1960s
as the frontman
and lead guitarist
of the blues rock
power trio
Taste.
Following the band's
break-up in 1970,
he launched a
solo career
and was voted
Guitarist of the Year
by Melody Maker
magazine
in 1972.
Gallagher played over
2,000 concerts
worldwide throughout
his career,
including many in
Northern Ireland
during the Troubles.
He had global
record sales
exceeding
30 million.
During the 1980s,
Gallagher continued to tour
and record new music,
but his
popularity declined
due to shifting trends
in the music industry.
His health also
began to deteriorate,
resulting in a
liver transplant
in March 1995
at King's College Hospital
in London.
Following the operation,
he contracted a
staphylococcal infection
(MRSA)
and died
three months later
at the age of 47.
Gallagher has been
commemorated posthumously
with statues in
Ballyshannon and Belfast,
and public spaces
renamed in his memory
in Dublin,
Cork,
and Paris.
He has been commemorated
on an An Post set
of postage stamps
and a
Central Bank
of Ireland
commemorative coin.
Since 2002,
the Rory Gallagher
International
Tribute Festival
has been held
annually in
Ballyshannon.
A number of musicians
in the world of
rock and blues
cite Gallagher
as an influence,
both for his
musicianship and character,
including
Brian May
(Queen),
Johnny Marr
(the Smiths),
Slash
(Guns N' Roses),
the Edge
(U2),
Glenn Tipton
(Judas Priest),
Janick Gers
(Iron Maiden),
Vivian Campbell
(Def Leppard),
Joan Armatrading,
Gary Moore,
and
Joe Bonamassa
