Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher (March 2, 1948 – June 14, 1995) was an Irish blues/rock guitarist, born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, and raised in County Cork. He is regularly credited as one of the most influential Irish rock and blues musicians of all time.[1]
Life and works
His first bands were showbands which played the popular hits of the day. In 1965 he turned the showband The Impact into an R'n'B group which played gigs in Ireland and Spain. He formed Taste in 1966, but the line-up which became legendary was formed in 1967, featuring his guitar and vocals, the jazz-tinged drumming of John Wilson and intricate bass playing of Richard McCracken. Recordings of the earlier version of Taste are still available and it's interesting to compare Rory's rudimentary guitar playing to the virtuosity that became evident fairly soon after in the later Taste. This was the group who released two studio albums, Taste and On the Boards, and made two live recordings showing the band at its incendiary best, Live at Montreux and Live at the Isle of Wight. The latter appeared a long time after the band broke up, famously, at that same Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. A legend of blues music, Rory played with many of the genre's biggest stars, and some of his best work was in collaboration with Muddy Waters on tracks recorded in London in the early 70s.
Rory then went solo, hiring bass player Gerry McAvoy, and various drummers, the most notable being Rod De'Ath. He produced more than a dozen albums, among them Rory Gallagher and Deuce from 1971, Blueprint and Tattoo from 1973, Irish Tour from 1974, 1975's Against the Grain, featuring his worn out Fender Stratocaster on the cover, and Calling Card in 1976.
A shy and humble man, Rory never married and had no children. Instead he is thought to have devoted his life to his music, especially the blues. He played and recorded what he said was "in me all the time, and not just something I turn on ...". Though he sold over 30 million albums world wide it was his marathon live performances that won him greatest acclaim. His passion and skill for the blues is well documented in the 1974 film "Irish Tour '74" directed by Tony Palmer.
In 1972 he was voted Melody Maker's Top Musician of the Year, dethroning Eric Clapton. His album Live in Europe has been a big selling album not only in Ireland but also internationally. Generally regarded as one of the top ten guitarists ever, many of today's top musicians, including The Edge from U2, Slash of Guns N' Roses fame, Johnny Marr of the Smiths and Brian May of Queen cite Rory as an inspiration in their formative musical years. It is also well documented that the Rolling Stones auditioned Rory among a number of other guitarists for the band in the 70s.
Rory lived for a time in Belgium and from the late 1980s suffered increasingly poor health yet he continued touring. His final performance, by a visibly unwell man, was in February 1995 in the Netherlands. Rory Gallagher died in London on 14th June 1995 from MRSA complications following a liver transplant. His final resting place is in St. Oliver's Cemetery outside Cork City.
Guitars and Equipment
Rory's Stratocaster
Rory was always associated with his well-worn sunburst 1961 Stratocaster, which his brother Donal has officially retired. It was reputedly the first in Ireland, ordered by a showband member who changed his mind about the colour. Rory bought it for just shy of £100 at Crowley's Music Store on Cork's McCurtain Street. The guitar was never intentionally modified, but years of touring and stage use have instilled it with many idiosyncrasies. The most notable effect that years of touring have had is the almost complete removal of the guitar's sunburst finish, partly through being left out in the rain in a ditch for days after being stolen. Some of the damage has also been attributed to Rory's acidic sweat. 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. Reproductions of the guitar have recently been sold by Fender, though with smaller frets and lower action than the original.[2]
Other Instruments
Rory owned a number of other instruments, including:
Purchased for $2000 in Florida by Donal Gallagher, he avoided paying tax when returning to Ireland with it by saying it was a toy.
Danelectro Silvertone
Similar to that used by Jimmy Page, however this guitar was bought for $15 from a pawnshop rather than being assembled from 3 different guitars as Page's was.
Other Fender Guitars
Rory also played a Telecaster and an Esquire, the Esquire being notable in that Rory modified it into a triple pickup guitar similar to a Stratocaster.
Acoustic Guitars
Rory's main acoustic guitar for most of his career was a Martin D-35, which was miked through the PA for live shows. In his later years, he used an Electro-Acoustic Takamine (reputedly a prototype model given to him by Takamine while he was touring Japan) that was much easier to amplify in a live context.
Bluegrass Instruments
Rory played the Mandolin, the Harmonica and the Resonator Guitar; usually only on his slower numbers.
Other Instruments
Rory also played the Saxophone.
Amplifiers and Effects
Rory used various makes and models of amplifiers during his career. In general, however, he preferred smaller 'combo' amplifiers to the larger, more powerful 'stacks' that are 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 Rory 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 similar amplifier and treble booster setup after meeting Rory and asking him how he got his sound.
In the early to mid 70s, Rory began to use Fender amplifiers, most notably a Bassman and a Twin, both of a 50s vintage. An example of this sound can be heard on the Irish Tour '74 album. Rory also had a Fender Concert amp.
In the mid to late 70s, when Rory 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, Rory used different combinations of amps on stage to achieve more power and to blend the tonal characteristics of different amps.
Tributes
Quotes
"Playing on stage with him in LA was one of the biggest thrills for me ever." Slash (Guns N' Roses)
"A beautiful man and an amazing guitar player. He was a very sensitive man and a great musician." The Edge (U2)
"It was all about him playing the guitar, it got into your soul." Cameron Crowe (Writer/Film Director)
"In the 70s he built himself a reputation as a live performer of tremendous vitality." "He was even headhunted to join The Rolling Stones." Niall Stokes (Editor, Hot Press)
"One of the things that was crucial for me I got from Rory Gallagher, which was the idea of, like, being a guitar player for life and living it." Johnny Marr (The Smiths/Johnny Marr and the Healers/Modest Mouse)
"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." Brian May (Queen)
"An uncompromisingly serious musician" The Times, 16th June 1995.
Reference for musician quotes: UK Guitarist 265 / The Rory Gallagher Story, BBC Radio 2
Annual International Tribute Festival
Beginning in 2001 fans of Rory from all around the world have gathered in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland to celebrate Rory's life and music. In excess of 4000 people attend the festival annually to take part in guitar workshops, trade memorabilia, and to attend the performances of Rory-inspired blues and rock acts from all over Europe.
Other tributes
- On the 25th of October 1997 a tribute sculpture to Rory Gallagher was unveiled in the newly renamed Rory Gallagher Square (formerly St. Paul's St. Square) in Cork City. The sculptor was a childhood friend of Rory, Geraldine Creedon. The two had grown up together in the McCurtain Street area of the city.
- Comic book artist Timothy Truman is also a fan, and GrimJack #4: Legacy has a cover and story line utilizing Rory's image.
- There is a Rory Gallagher Museum located in Ballyshannon, Ireland which contains a detailed history of Rory's life and many items of memorabilia.
- A good deal of Rory Gallagher tribute bands exist today, many of which perform at the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival.
- One theatre in Ballyshannon has been renamed as the Rory Gallagher Theatre.
- There is a Rory Gallagher Corner at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, Dublin.
- A life-size bronze statue in the shape of Rory's signature Stratocaster has been installed at Rory Gallagher Corner in Dublins Temple Bar. Some of those who attended the unveiling include The Edge of U2 and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
- In 2004 the Rory Gallagher Music Library was opened in Cork. [3]
Discography
Albums
- Rory Gallagher - 1971
- Deuce - 1971
- Live In Europe - 1972
- Blueprint - 1973
- Tattoo (album) - 1973
- Irish Tour '74 - 1974
- Against The Grain - 1975
- Calling Card - 1976
- Photo Finish - 1978
- Top Priority - 1979
- Stage Struck - 1980
- Jinx - 1982
- Defender - 1987
- Fresh Evidence - 1990
- BBC Sessions - 1999
- Let's Go To Work - 2001
- Meeting With The G-Man - 2003
Compilations
- The Story So Far - 1974
- In The Beginning - 1975
- Sinner... and Saint - 1975
- Take It Easy Baby - 1976
- A Blue Day For The Blues - 1995
- Last of the Independents - 1995
- Etched In Blue - 1998
- Wheels Within Wheels - 2003
- Big Guns: The Very Best Of Rory Gallagher - 2005
- Live At Montreux - 2006
DVDs
- Irish Tour 1974 - 2000
- At Rockpalast - 2004
- The Complete Rockpalast Collection - 2005
- Live at Cork Opera House - 2006
- Live In Montreux - 2006
- (Pistol Slapper Blues)
Guest appearances
- Drat That Fratle Rat - Chris Barber - 1974
- London Revisited - Muddy Waters - 1974
- Gaodhal's Vision - Joe O'Donnell - 1977
- Tarot Suite - Mike Batt - 1978
- Jammin` With Albert - Albert Collins & The Icebreakers - 1983
- Box Of Frogs - Box Of Frogs - 1984
- Strangeland - Box of Frogs - 1986
- The Scattering - The Fureys and Davey Arthur - 1989
- Out of the Air - Davy Spillane - 1989
- Words and Music - Phil Coulter - 1989
- 30 Years A-Greying - The Dubliners - 1992
- The Outstanding - Chris Barber and Band - 1993