Gary Moore in 2008
You know you’re old when members of some of the favorite bands from your youth start dropping regularly. Yesterday, Gary Moore, known mostly for his three stints as a guitarist with Irish hard-rock band Thin Lizzy, passed on. He joins Ronnie James Dio, Kenny Edwards, and Alex Chilton , some big talent we lost last year. An interesting little tidbit for you: Moore’s first band stint was as a member of a blues-rock band called Skid Row. I know you’re thinking, “Wasn’t that an 80′s hair band?” Why. yes it was. Moore sold the name “Skid Row” to the American metal band for 35 large back in 1987.
Thin Lizzy was never my favorite band,nor even in my top ten favorite bands, but I did love the Jailbreak album, which was recorded when Moore was out of the band. He doesn’t actually appear in many studio cuts, but was a sensation when he played on a stage. One of the outstanding things about the band was that they boasted two lead guitars, which led to a virtuoso sound, especially when Moore was one of them.
Here he is, playing in “Still In Love With You.”
Rest in peace, Gary Moore.
Oh, and here he is with David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, and Lemmy in a fun comedy bit The Easy Guitar Book Sketch.
Favorite Thin Lizzy song: Cowboy Song, especially as covered by Golden Smog.
Recommended albums: Jailbreak (1976), Live And Dangerous (1978)
