MusicRadar

Rory Gallagher playing one of his famous Strats

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Rory Gallagher was born and raised in the south of Ireland. Inspired by seeing Elvis on the TV, Rory got hold of his first acoustic guitar at nine years old.

From then on he taught himself to play from books and by listening to the records of Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie and Chuck Berry among others, and at the age of 13 he formed his own rock 'n' roll band. However, Rory didn't feel this would lead anywhere so he made the compromise of joining the then-flourishing showband circuit. Around this time, he acquired his famous '61 Stratocaster, which featured on every subsequent tour and recording.

Rory disliked the 'cabaret' element required to keep dance hall owners happy, so he struck out with his own band, Taste, in early 1967. Following the Hamburg club circuit in the tradition of The Beatles, the band built a strong following at home and abroad, with John Lennon becoming a high-profile fan along the way.

Rory's solo career saw him tour the world many times and record numerous successful albums. The examples we've tabbed below are inspired by his mid 70s playing.

Rory is remembered as an unpretentious and skilful musician.

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