Gary Moore

Gary Moore was born in Belfast, Ireland on April 4, 1952. He was exposed to music at an early age, and by the age of 16, he joined his first band called Skid Row.

In 1970, he and the band relocated to London, and signed a contract with CBS Records. After only 2 albums, they disbanded, and Moore formed the Gary Moore Band. They released their first album, Grinding Stone in 1973, but the bands progress stopped after a year when Moore assisted the band Thin Lizzy because they lost their guitarist. (Eric Bell) This lasted about 4 months, and then Moore was replaced by Scott Gorham and Brian Robinson.

Moore decided to do some session work, and then joined Coloseum ll in 1976. The band released 3 albums together before Moore rejoined Thin Lizzy on a 10 week American tour, after guitarist Brian Robertson severed an artery in his hand. In 1978, Moore finally became a full-time member of Thin Lizzy, and worked on the album Black Rose. At the same time, he was working on his solo career. He released Back on the Streets, with unaccredited help from Phil Lynott.

Moore left Thin Lizzy in July of 1979 during the band's American Tour. He then formed the band G-Force, though it soon failed. Moore then resumed his solo career, and released a series of albums which were commercially unrecognized.

Finally, in 1985 he achieved another UK Top 10 single with Out in the Fields, another collaboration with Lynott. He reached the UK Top 10 again in 1987 with Wild Frontier, and yet again in1989 when he released After the War, which revealed a strong Celtic influence. It featured artists such as Ozzy Osbourne and Andrew Eldritch (Sisters of Mercy).

At long last, he reached world wide acceptance in 1990 after releasing Still Got the Blues, which featured cameo appearances by B.B. King, and Albert Collins. Both this album and the follow-up, Blues Alive, reached the UK Top 10.

In 1994, Moore teamed up with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker as BBM. They released an accomplished album, Around the Next Dream, but their personalities conflicted, and they soon parted ways.

In1995 he released the album Blues for Greeny which featured songs written by Peter Green and was played on Green's Gibson Les Paul, which Moore had received from Green as a gift years earlier.

Moore's next album Dark Days in Paradise, had little blues to offer. Moore attempted Rock, AOR, and Pop, and the album's moderate success seemed to reflect the listener's rejection of this new approach. A Different Beat featured some dance rhythms, but lyrically, he seemed to move into a cliché that the listener didn't approve of.

All in all Gary Moore is an extremely talented guitarist and songwriter. He has incredible technique and imagination. It is no wonder that he has received world wide acceptance as one of the most brilliant guitarists of his time.

Gary Moore has had a few signature guitars made for him. The Heritage Gary Moore Model and the Gibson Les Paul Gary Moore.