Gary Moore
Gary Moore was born on 04/04/1952 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He grew up on Castleview Road in East Belfast. He first picked up an acoustic guitar when he was 8. At the age of 14, he received his first quality guitar and learned to play the right-handed guitar in the standard method of playing despite being left handed. When he was a teenager he left the city due to family difficulties. His parents parted a year later, just as The Troubles started in Northen Ireland.Moore moved to Dublin when he was 16. Whilst he was performing in Dublin, Moore would be mentored by Peter Green the guitarist of Fleetwood Mac. Moore would later be lent Green's 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar, which Moore would end up purchasing at Green's request. In Dublin, Moore joined the group Skid Row. The band also included Noel Bridgeman, Brendan "Brush" Shiels and Phil Lynott. The band would develop Moore's reputation in the music industry.
In 1970, Moore moved to England. Apart from two short periods in the US, he would remain in England.
In 1973, Moore released his first solo album as The Gary Moore Band called "Grinding Stone". It was released in the US on Neil Kemper-Stocker's new label imprint Cosmos. It won "Album of the Year" on KTAC-FM/Seattle-Tacoma, Washington in 1974.
In 1974, Moore joined Lynott in the band Thin Lizzy after Eric Bell left the group. He would leave the band soon afterwards.
From 1975 to 1978, Moore was a member of Colosseum II. The band would collaborate with Andrew Lloyd Webber on his "Variations" album in 1978.
In 1977, Moore rejoined Thin Lizzy as a temporary replacement for Brian Robertson. He would become a permanent member a year later.
In July 1979, Moore left Thin Lizzy permanently to focus on his solo career. In the same year, Moore released the solo album "Parisienne Walkways" which also featured vocals from Phil Lynott. The album would reach the top ten in the UK charts. At the same time, the Thin Lizzy album "Black Rose: A Rock Legend" which featured Moore would reach number 2 on the UK chart.
In 1987, Moore performed a guitar solo as part of the group Ferry Aid for their cover of the Beatles "Let it Be" to raise money for the survivors of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise disaster.
In 1990, Moore played lead guitar on the song "She's My Baby" from the Travelling Wilbury's album "Travelling Wilburys Vol. 3". In the same year, Moore made a return to blues music with his solo album "Still Got the Blues". The album also featured Albert King, Albert Collins and George Harrison. It was well received and was certified Gold in the US. He kept with playing predominately Blues music until 1997.
In 1993, Moore became part of the short live power trio called Bruce-Baker-Moore or BBM. The group consisted of Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Gary Moore.
In 1994, BBM released the album "Around the Next Dream". The group would go on a short UK tour and a few festivals in Europe before disbanding.
In 1997, Moore released the album "Dark Days in Paradise" which featured a more rock sound.
In 1999, Moore released the album "A Different Beat" which experimented with modern dance beats.
In 2001, Moore returned to a Blues sound with the album "Back to the Blues".
In 2004, Moore released the album "Power of the Blues".
In 2005, Moore joined the One World Project which recorded the song "Grief Never Grows Old" for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief effort. The project also featured Russell Watson, Boy George, Steve Winwood, Barry Gibb, Brian Wilson, Cliff Richard, Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Robin Gibb. Moore would also appear in a comedy sketch with comedian Rowland Rivron and musicians Mark Knopfler, Lemmy, Mark King, and David Gilmour.
In 2006, he released the album "Old New Ballads Blues".
In 2007, Moore released the album "Close As You Get".
In 2008, Moore released another blues album called "Bad For You Baby".
Moore would collaborate with a number of other artists in his career including Trilok Gurtu, Dr. Strangely Strange, Jimmy Nail, Mo Foster, Jim Capaldi, B.B. King, Vicki Brown, Cozy Powell, Rod Argent, the Beach Boys, Paul Rodgers, Keith Emerson, Roger Daltrey, and Otis Taylor.
On 06/02/2011, Gary Moore died of a heart attack in his sleep whilst on holiday with his girlfriend in Estepona, Spain. The heart attack had been brought on through his large consumption of alcohol during the evening.
A large statue of Moore has been erected on a small island outside Skånevik after his many performances at the Skånevik Blues Festival.