By: Brady Lavin
William Rory Gallagher, known by most simply as Rory Gallagher (pronounced “Gal-uh-her”), was born on March 2nd, 1948 in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland to Daniel and Monica Gallagher. Rory spent most of his young days in Cork, Ireland, where his family moved after the birth of his younger brother Donal Gallagher. Both brothers went to the North Monastery School in Cork.
He had a musical childhood from the beginning; his father played accordion, and both parents were singers. Like Jimi Hendrix, Gallagher began his musical journey on the ukulele, and his parents fully encouraged him to develop his skills. His parents eventually got him an acoustic guitar, and he bought himself an electric guitar with the prize money he received from winning a talent contest at age twelve. That guitar, a 1961 Fender Sunburst Stratocaster, would eventually be stripped completely of its finish from being his signature, go-to guitar throughout his entire career.
Rory Gallagher
Rory grew up in a house without a record player, so he glued his ear to the radio. Upon hearing Elvis Presley for the first time, Rory sought out all the blues masters on American Forces radio. One of these was Muddy Waters, with whom he would later collaborate. At the very early age of eleven, Rory Gallagher was already gigging. He played around town with a band that included his brother Donal, playing Everly Brothers songs, as it was some of the only music suitable for children that age.
As he got older, he began playing in the only outlet available to him: show bands. These bands, in which all members wore identical suits and played popular tunes, paid money, but it was not at all what Rory wanted to do. Local promoters wanted simple, nice guitar playing, and this restricted an adventurous Gallagher. But Rory got his chances to push the envelope when he went on small tours with show bands The Fontana and The Impact. Gaining more freedom, Rory turned The Impact into an R&B group in 1965, and got to tour all over Ireland and Spain.
Realizing that tastes were changing, Rory formed his power trio Taste in 1966 at the age of 18. Playing R&B and blues, the trio originally was made up of Rory and two musicians from Cork, Eric Kitteringham and Norman Damery. The lineup that would become famous, however, consisted of Rory on guitar, Richard McCracken on bass, and John Wilson on drums. This lineup flourished in the exploding blues scene in Ireland and especially the United Kingdom, where they toured extensively.
In 1968, Taste enjoyed a residency at the iconic Marquee Club in London, where John Lennon became part of a quickly growing fan base. Taste also played at Cream’s farewell show at the Royal Albert Hall. At this concert, Cream’s manager asked Rory if he would like to replace Eric Clapton in Cream, as Eric was really the only one leaving the band. However, Gallagher denied the opportunity without a second thought, not wanting to just follow in Clapton’s footsteps.
Rory Gallagher
This high-profile gig led to a support slot for blues supergroup Blind Faith’s (Clapton’s next project) 1969 tour of the United States and Canada. Taste also released their first studio album, which was self-titled, in 1969, with their follow-up, On the Boards, coming soon after in 1970. On the Boards was unfortunately Taste’s last studio album, as they began to have serious management issues in 1970. It got to the point where Rory had had enough, and he disbanded the group after their last show, which was on New Year’s Eve in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The break-up of Taste hit Rory hard, and he never had a management company represent him again, opting instead to have his brother Donal handle his management. Rory did, however, get right back to music making with his first solo album, Rory Gallagher, released in 1971. He hired bassist Gerry McAvoy, who would play with Rory for the next twenty years, and drummer Wilgar Campbell for that album.
Going solo proved to be a great move as Rory quickly became incredibly prolific. During the 1970’s, he released eight studio albums and two live albums, Live in Europe and Irish Tour ’74. Although he eventually sold over thirty million records, Rory was widely known for his incredible live performances. These live albums capture his vitality and ingenuity, especially Irish Tour ’74 which was recorded during a time of political unrest in Ireland. Performers were encouraged to stay away, but Gallagher wouldn’t ignore his home country.
Throughout this period and after, Rory stayed away from the singles market, preferring instead for people to hear his music as entire records. He also shunned any quick-fading fads and studio tricks like click tracks, instead opting for a pure, raw sound that helped capture his live energy on each studio record. On many of his records, Rory showed his versatility in style and technique, playing many different genres and styles. While the blues are ever-present, he incorporated elements of country, jazz, folk and rock into many of his recordings, and he also picked up other instruments, such as the saxophone and sitar.
By 1990, constant touring (25 North American tours, more Reading Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival appearances than any other artist), prescription medications and alcohol had taken a toll on Rory’s health. In his own words, “The blues is bad for your health. It’s as simple as that. It goes with the territory.” This deterioration, combined with an increased critical ear in regards to his recordings, decreased Gallagher’s prolific output. Although he put out fewer recordings, they were still innovative, exciting, and unfailingly authentic.
Rory Gallagher Live
Rory Gallagher played the blues until he dropped. In 1995, he collapsed onstage, and after being taken to the hospital, it was determined that his liver was failing. He underwent a successful transplant and was seemingly recovering well, but in June 1995 an infection ended his life.
While never scoring on the pop charts like other blues legends, Rory made his name with constant touring, honest and authentic music, and an unending love for the guitar. He influenced an entire generation of guitar players, including Johnny Marr of the Smiths and Brian May of Queen, who says, “I owe Rory Gallagher my sound.” Rory Gallagher’s death was a tragedy, but he will live on through his music and everyone he inspired to dedicate their lives wholly and truly, to music.
Rory Gallagher Live
Tom McCool (13 years ago)
This is a good a summary of Rory’s life, one of the small details generally missed, but is significant – the family moved to Derry shortly after his birth (Donal Gallagher was born there) it was in Derry, where there was an American naval base that Rory first heard the American radio stations, which were relayed to Derry. So whilst his time in Derry was overall a very small part of his life, the impact was hughly significant in that it introduced him to American blues and rock and roll.
It’s good to see Rory getting continued recognition after his death, it’s a pity he’s never been inducted into the “Rock n Roll hall of fame” !!
Guitar International Magazine (13 years ago)
Thanks for the additional info, Rory is an underrated guitarist for sure, always glad to spread the word on such an amazing player!