in memory of legendary guitarist Gary Moore (1952-2011)

For fans of heavy metal music, Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 1952 – 6 February 2011) is best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and his 1980s heavy metal period; however, he would later go on to define an entirely different era for himself as a blues guitarist. Given that I only know his blues music sparingly, I won't comment on it, and will instead limit myself to the part of his career that I know better.

Born in Belfast, Gary developed a reputation as an exceptionally skilled guitarist from a young age. It is well known that Thin Lizzy vocalist Phil Lynott had a great admiration for Gary and was always looking to have him play guitar with the band. Sharing such a close friendship, Phil and Gary collaborated on multiple occasions, including the entirety of the 1979 album Black Rose: A Rock Legend, an album I consider wonderful.

Critics more knowledgeable than I have observed several key traits in his work. Regarding Black Rose, critics view the album as a landmark for Celtic-influenced hard rock. They observe that Gary integrated traditional Irish melodic structures with the emerging dual-guitar harmonies of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. His technical contributions to tracks like 'Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend' are particularly noted.

In my opinion (Metal Bulletin Zine), the 1980s marked Gary's move toward heavy metal. Through albums such as Corridors of Power (1982) and Victims of the Future (1983), Moore refined his blues origins with intense distortion and rapid-fire shredding. His style often featured a sustain-heavy 'singing' tone, and he was admired by a generation of guitarists, from Metallica’s Kirk Hammett to neo-classical shredders. Kirk considers Gary one of his top five influences and has stated that he borrowed ideas from Gary for both Master of Puppets and the Black Album.

In the 1990s, Gary returned to the blues. For those interested in exploring his life in depth, some authors have studied his work in great detail. Gary Moore: The Official Biography by Harry Shapiro (2022) is widely considered the definitive work. Shapiro, a rock biographer who has also written about Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Jack Bruce, includes a foreword by Kirk Hammett, who now owns Moore’s famous 'Greeny' guitar. The book features interviews with Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Glenn Hughes (Black Sabbath/Deep Purple), and members of Thin Lizzy. Another book is White Knuckles: The Life and Music of Gary Moore by Martin Power (2021), who has also written on Pearl Jam, Aerosmith, and Queen. This book explores the technical side of his playing and his constant genre-hopping from jazz-fusion to metal and blues.

Lastly, it would be criminal to forget Gary Moore's singing! In my experience, Gary has such a unique and powerful voice that I am never confused as to who is performing, whether it is blues, classic rock, or heavy metal. It’s Gary Moore; his voice is unmistakable. I like his singing a lot.

(I was going to share just a couple of songs, but then I got carried away! Oh, well, blast some Gary Moore music!)

Gary Moore - Still Got The Blues [HD] (1990)

THIN LIZZY The Boys Are Back In Town live Sydney Opera 1978 (w. Gary Moore)

Thin Lizzy - Toughest Street in Town (from Black Rose)

Gary Moore & Phil Lynott- Out in the Fields

Gary Moore - Murder In The Skies (from 1983 Victims of the Future)

Gary Moore - Victims Of The Future (from 1983 Victims of the Future)

Gary Moore - Led Clones (with Ozzy Osbourne)