by hunter60
Gallagher released his self titled album, Rory Gallagher, in 1971 and followed it up with Deuce, the same year. Both albums were picked up by Atlantic Records for distribution in the United States and both records were warmly received although neither would make much noise on the charts. Gallagher was an extremely prolific artist during the '70s and into '80s, releasing 10 studio albums and 2 live albums between 1971 and 1982.
Although Gallagher never really became a main stream artist in the United States, his near constant recording, heavy touring schedule and positive word of mouth from his fans brought him a solid audience but it was his frenzied, marathon live performances that made him an exceptionally popular live act.
But perhaps the some of the best recordings of Rory Gallagher are not even on his own discs but rather when he would sit in studio behind some of his heroes. In 1972, Gallagher played on the heavily vaunted album Muddy Waters: The London Sessions which brought his searing guitar work notice outside of Europe. Another fine example of his skills were caught on tape when he sat in on the 1978 comeback album for British skiffle king Lonnie Donegan.
Other guest appearances included spots with Howling Wolf, Jerry Lee Lewis Albert King, Albert Collins and The Fureys. He was even head hunted to replace Mick Taylor in The Rolling Stones but turned it down feeling that The Stones were not quite the venue that he wanted to pursue, opting instead to stay true to his own blues vision. He was also asked to replace Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple and The Eagle in Canned Heat. He declined all of the offers.
By 1982 Gallagher was exhausted from his near constant touring schedule and took a few years off. He returned to recording and touring in 1988 with the release of Defender and Fresh Evidence. Evidence showed a renewed spirit in Gallagher and according to most music critics marked a very solid comeback on the horizon.
However there were problems beginning to surface. Odd considering his heavy touring schedule, he was terrified of flying and had been prescribed tranquillizers. It didn't take him long to become addicted. And like most addicts, he felt that he could handle it himself despite pleas from his family, namely his brother Donal.
By 1995, Gallaghers body began to fail. He finally went to the hospital where he lapsed into a coma. Doctors discovered he had a diseased liver and he underwent a liver transplant. Gallagher tolerated the procedure and was scheduled to be moved to a hospital closer to his home when he caught a viral infection while still in the hospital. Due to his weakened immune system, he was unable to fight it off and died two days later on June 14th, 1995.
He was 47 years old.
It's impossible to ignore the impact that Rory Gallagher has had on both rock and blues (although he considered himself a blues player only) when you consider that there are streets named after him in France, Dublin, and Cork. Gallagher once drew over 40,000 people to a 15,000 seat soccer arena in Greece and went on to sell over 100,000 albums on the Isle of Greece alone. Even with his tragically shortened career, Rory Gallagher has sold over 30 million albums and is cited as an influence and a contemporary to countless classic rock and blues guitar players.
Brian May (guitarist for Queen) recalled "So these couple of kids come up, shows 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." Eric Clapton, who Gallagher beat out for Melody Maker's Top Musician of the Year in 1974, said of Gallagher that he's "The man who got me back into the blues."
But perhaps his brother Donal Gallagher said it best when he was asked how he would like Rory to be remembered. "I think as an honest musician. I'm pleased that he is remembered by the devoted following that he has, but I'd like him to be remembered on a wider scale for the influence that he was.
It's very easy now for people to cite Neil Young or Springsteen as the kind of guys who didn't put up with the *expletive* of the business and all that. Rory's attitude changed an awful lot of things in the business that he never got recognition for because he wasn't the type. I'd like him to be credited for the influence he was on people because he put an awful lot of humanity into his music. He was a musician first and foremost, that was his vocation and he stuck with it."
[FONT=Tahoma]"All I can do is be me ... whoever that is". Bob Dylan [/FONT]
