“Mr. Blues is back!” 
… Hang on, I thought he never left? 

Perhaps it is only a magazine headline, but we had to wonder, was it truly fair to say that Rory was … ‘back’? Regardless of whether it was fair or not, it was the narrative that was printed in 1988’s Hot Press.

There is still so much to be written about Rory Gallagher. We believe it is a correct observation that public awareness of Rory has increased within the twenty-first century – particularly across the COVID-19 pandemic – and with this arrives different narratives of Rory’s life.

When rewatching Ian Thuillier’s documentary Ghost Blues: The Story of Rory Gallagher in preparation for today’s post, we were struck by the absence of Rory’s accomplishments and musical works in the latter half of his life. After all, this is the story of Rory Gallagher … yet his story is misrepresented on screen, and instead he is remembered as a man wandering in the shadow of earlier success. Familiar accolades (such as Rory’s No.1 ranking on Melody Maker’s ‘Best Guitarist’ list in 1972, Taste’s exceptional performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight, and the 1977 and 1978 Macroom ‘Mountain Dew’ Festivals) leave us as viewers in awe that a man could accomplish so much in his youth.

However, is it fair that Defender is breezed over in only a sentence? Is it fair that Fresh Evidence barely made a footnote in a document claiming to represent Rory Gallagher’s story? We all know Rory was a proud Irishman, and we all know how much he loved playing in his hometown, yet in his story, why must we fall back upon the familiar that is his 1974 Irish Tour, yet we are less inclined to mention his involvement in the 1986 Self Aid concert for the assistance of the unemployed in Ireland? Why do Rory biographies insist on falling into the same trap of glossing over some of the most amazing milestones in his career, such as the 1992 Guinness Hop Store Masterclass, or being honoured with the Fender Hall of Fame award in the same year, or even the filmed 1987 concert in Vienna? 

Well, we crave a different, the definitive, story of Rory Gallagher, one that does not follow the easy pathway of a man victim to the eighties zeitgeist, victim to ‘addiction’, victim to himself, and instead the hero of what he was able to accomplish. 

No, Rory Gallagher is not a man in the shadows. He is not leaving, or going, or coming ‘back’. He is here, like he was then, and like he is now. 

In the final ten years of his life, we know that Rory was unwell and that Rory was hurting, but Rory was not a ghost either. Yes, we want Rory’s narrative to be rewritten into the right one, the deserved one, which is the fundamental purpose of this blog. For his birthday, we have accumulated the numerous high points of achievement in Rory’s life and legacy, beginning in 1982 and finishing with the present day. We have provided as much information as we can about each event, dedication, or fact, in the hopes that this can become a guide for future Rory fans who are curious to know the man who is ‘back’ in 1987. 

More importantly, however, this birthday post serves as a love letter to Rory. Throughout the weeks of tireless preparation for today, the both of us endured our own mental health struggles. However, Rory – as always for us – was the light at the end of the tunnel (or Word document) and for that we are forever grateful. Happy 74th.  

Hiatus: 1982-1987

When Rory released Defender in July 1987, the music magazines were full of stories about his “comeback,” asking him what he had been doing with himself over the past five years since Jinx. “Maybe people thought I was sheep-farming,” he cheekily joked to Bill Graham of Hot Press. However, just because Rory was out of the studio over this period, it didn’t mean that he was sitting back and resting on his laurels. Indeed, Rory himself often said that he was too “restless and nervous” in character to be “just sitting at home” and that he liked to keep busy. And busy he was, with a range of exciting new projects and endeavours that, sadly, are often forgotten about when telling the Rory Gallagher story.

1980 and 1982 Stag/Hot Press Rock Awards
In 1980, Rory was attributed with three awards at the Stat/Hot Press Awards: firstly, he was ranked no.4 for Best Male Singer; secondly, rated as the third Best Group, beating the Undertones and Thin Lizzy; and finally, his dynamic live album Stagestruck was voted in the Best Album category behind releases such as U2’s Boy and the Undertones Hypnotized. For 1982’s Stag/Hot Press Awards – held at the Royal Hibernian Hotel in Dublin – Rory was honoured with the Best Musicians Award. Following the award ceremony, Rory returned home to Cork for a short break, and during this time was interviewed by Brendan Martin, the article appearing in the August edition of RTÉ Guide’s ‘Sounds and Vision’.

1982 Award for Most Shows at the Glasgow Apollo
Between 1973 and 1982, Rory played twelve shows at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow. His concerts in the Scottish city always went down a storm so, after his sell-out performance on 28th May 1982, the management of the venue decided to surprise him with the presentation of a gold statuette. We love how Rory is holding the trophy in the photo below as if it were the fretboard of a guitar!

1982 Hot Press 5th Birthday Festival
On 18th July 1982, Rory headlined Hot Press Magazine’s 5th Birthday Festival at Punchestown Racecourse in Ireland. Halfway through his set, he was unexpectedly joined on stage by fellow Irish music legends Phil Lynott and Paul Brady who, together, took the audience through barnstorming renditions of “Mercury Blues,” “My Haunting Town,” “Bustin’ Loose,” “This Is the Woman” and a medley of “What I’m Going to Do,” “Mean Woman Blues,” “Reelin’ and Rockin’” and “Dizzy Miss Lizzy.” It’s a crying shame that nobody filmed this concert, but at least there is a bootleg available on YouTube. It was extremely fitting for Rory to be chosen as headliner for this festival, given that he and Dónal had both been instrumental in the launch of Hot Press back in 1977. Rory recognised the need for such a magazine in Ireland and supported journalist Niall Stokes by putting up the money himself to kickstart the project.

1983 Marquee Club 25th Anniversary Shows
Jazz enthusiast and business executive Harold Pendleton established the Marquee Club in 1958. The club gained popularity with frequent appearances by musicians Chris Barber and Alexis Korner, before moving to 90 Wardour Street, which became the venue’s most famous location. Close to every rhythm and blues act of the sixties and seventies played at the Marquee Club at some point in their career, including Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Faces, and David Bowie. In the 1973 Music Makers documentary (which centred on his 1972 show in Limerick), Rory shared in an interview excerpt that Taste’s “main break was [at] the Marquee Club in England”, arguing that the significance of earning a residency at the club was “a big break for anyone because you could build up [a crowd] every Tuesday night, and of course various agents and promoters would be there.” In 1983, to mark the  25th anniversary of the Marquee Club, a series of anniversary shows were organised and in which Rory took part. A full bootleg of his performance can be found here. After three former members of the Yardbirds – Paul Samwell-Smith, Chris Dreja and Jim McCarty – performed together at this anniversary show, they formed Box of Frogs. Rory would guest star on their two subsequently released albums: the eponymous Box of Frogs in 1984 and Strange Land in 1986.

1984 Alexis Korner Tribute at Pistoia Blues Festival
When “the Founding Father of British Blues” Alexis Korner passed away in January 1984, the prestigious Pistoia Blues Festival in Italy decided to arrange a tribute night in his memory on 16th July of the same year. Rory was invited to participate, along with a host of other famous names including Jimmy Page, Georgie Fame and Ginger Baker. Once again, it’s a missed opportunity that nobody thought to film this concert, although we can be thankful for the bootleg available on YouTube. This gig, of course, also stands out for being the first time that the maestro of the harp, Mark Feltham, played with Rory. Rory would later go on to record the instrumental piece Alexis in honour of Alexis Korner on his 1990 Fresh Evidence album. He returned to Pistoia Blues Festival in 1994, delivering an outstanding performance that we will cover in detail in a future post.

1984 Ethiopia Benefit Concert
Rory participated in many charity events throughout his career. In our opinion, these performances have the reputation of being overlooked in Rory’s live repertoire. However, we take the opportunity now to highlight a select few, beginning with the Ethiopia Benefit Concert on 9th December 1984 at Scotland’s Usher Hall. The Benefit was in aid of the Save the Children Fund for famine relief, and included an all-star lineup, such as: Charlie Watts, Jack Bruce, Ian Stewart, Rick Wakeman, Bert Jansch, and many more. Rory shines on the Buddy Guy tune, “First Time I Met The Blues,” as well as the final three numbers (“Born Under A Bad Sign,” “Messin’ With The Kid” and “Nadine”).

1984 ‘MT-USA’ Theme Song
Inspired by the launch of America’s MTV, Ireland produced its own music video programme on February 19, 1984, with Rory’s 1979 track “Follow Me” used as the theme song. The show was broadcast in New York City, and brought the latest music videos from pop artists to homes in Ireland. The show ended in 1987 following the death of presenter ‘Fab’ Vincent Hanley from AIDS. This first clip is from the December 1984 broadcast, and the second from November 1986.

1985 Tour of Yugoslavia and Hungary
In a 1974 interview with The Gig, Rory stated that he would love to play behind the Iron Curtain one day as nobody else was willing to play music there. According to brother Dónal, Rory also had his own personal reasons, being hugely obsessed with spies and undercover agents. In January 1985, Rory achieved this goal when he embarked on an ambitious tour across Ljubljana, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Beograd and Novi Sad in what was then Yugoslavia, as well as Pecs and Budapest in Hungary. In typical Rory style, he played down the act, but he was, in fact, one of the first Western musicians to undergo such an endeavour. Dónal recalls how he felt like an “extra in Dr Zhivago” as they travelled across Eastern Europe. He also notes how they were not allowed to publicise the concert and that the atmosphere was extremely tense, with a huge percentage of the audience made up of soldiers and a Communist representative travelling with them at all times to ensure that they didn’t get up to any mischief. Despite the somewhat frightening backdrop to the tour, it was hugely successful and Rory was able to, in Dónal’s words, “whip the audience into a complete frenzy.”

Speaking to Dónal last week, he very kindly shared the following with us, which serves as yet another example of Rory’s altruism that few people know of:

While in Sarajevo, Rory (the visiting International ‘celebrity’) was asked by the authorities to be the guest to open their Winter Olympics, for television, despite travel that saw us arrive at the Holiday Inn hotel, at 4 a.m., my brother got up early to do this, we were driven in a tiny car to the top of a mountain, which had the toboggan run and didn’t have suitable shoes or clothes. Rory did his bit, we then sat in a toboggan type structure, with their sports guys for a photo and then got pushed down the ‘run’, which was both exhilarating and scary but quicker and safer than the car that brought us up!

Although we are focusing on the post-82 period in this blog post, we couldn’t talk about significant European concerts without giving a shoutout to Rory’s now legendary gig in Athens in 1981. The concert was overcrowded and, halfway through the set, a full-scale riot broke out, leading the police to arrive and fire CS gas, which temporarily blinded the band as they made their way off stage. Speaking to Hot Press shortly after the concert, Rory expressed how it was one of the most frightening experiences of his life and he was scared of “dying on a football pitch not knowing what was happening.” Despite these terrifying circumstances, he vowed that he would happily return to Greece again to perform so long as the junta were no longer in power. 

1986 Self Aid
In the 1980s, Ireland’s unemployment problem reached an all-time high, with nearly 250,000 people jobless. To help combat this problem, a group of RTÉ crew who had worked on Live Aid the previous year came up with the excellent idea of joining forces with trade unions to create an unemployment benefit concert in Dublin on 17th May 1986. The 14-hour gig would feature the very best of Irish musicians, with all proceeds going to a job creation trust fund. Of course, Rory was top of their wish list! Although he was performing in France the night before and Germany the night after, he agreed (after a wee moment of hesitation, as he told Dave Fanning) to fly in especially for the concert, performing a killer 20-minute set of “Follow Me,” “I Wonder Who,” “Messin’ with the Kid” and “Shadow Play.” Although Rory was personally unsatisfied with his performance, it was easily the standout performance of the night.

While on the topic of Rory’s live shows, let’s take a pause here to briefly mention the fact that Rory is the third most bootlegged artist in Western Europe next to Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. Dónal has said that Rory was always intrigued when fans turned up backstage with bootlegs and would often ask to borrow them or go out and buy copies for himself. In 1992, he would “bootleg the bootleggers” by releasing a triple CD boxset G-Men, made up of unofficial releases circulating around Europe. It is also worth noting that Rory made transmission and broadcast firsts with his Rockpalast and BBC appearances in the 1970s.

1987-1995

The last eight years of Rory’s life may have been challenging for him, with his declining physical and mental health, yet in true Rory style, he persevered with gruelling touring schedules and more accolades and feats that are often forgotten in his story. Rory would sombrely reflect on his often overlooked career in later years, stating in a 1991 interview with L.A. Times that although he was “quite happy” to simply play music, he “like the next human being, [would] like a little bit of a slap on the back sometimes.” However, today, we do more than just remember Rory’s achievements with a ‘slap on the back,’ but with a fond smile, a bittersweet tear, and heart of love. 

1987 Establishment of Capo Records
Following his final release of Jinx (1982) on the Chrysalis label, Rory–on the sound advice of his brother and manager Dónal–formed the record and publishing company Capo Records in 1987. When speaking with Richard Skelly for the October issue of Goldmine, Rory describes this business decision as creating “a little identity” for himself, and potentially beneficial for any “up-and-coming band or some existing artist who needs a break.” However, the company would mainly serve as a vehicle for releasing his own material, beginning with the 1987 issue of Defender, Fresh Evidence (1990) and all posthumous releases.

For a short period, Capo Records was linked with the distributing company Demon, and at the time of Defender’s release, the album reached over 6,000 sales, making it one of Demon’s all-time Top Ten best sellers. Defender generated further success for Rory when it topped the UK Independent Albums Chart, as well as re-establishing him into the public sphere, as highlighted by his (well deserved) inclusion on a Reader’s Poll Best Musicians’ list for Sounds magazine.

Moving on, through establishing Capo Records, Rory was able to purchase the rights to his back catalogue, setting him apart from the many songwriters and musicians who do not have the publishing rights to their own music. Following Rory’s passing, Dónal partnered Capo Records with BMG (which would eventually become Sony Music), restoring and re-releasing his brother’s material (in both CD and DVD format) for a new generation. Through Sony, the music of Rory Gallagher became “one of the best selling artist catalogues” of all time.

1988 Hot Press Best Album Award
On 3rd January 1988, the 10th Hot Press Rock Awards took place at the Waterfront Nightclub in Dublin. Dressed in a black polo shirt, leather jacket and jeans, Rory accepted the best album award for Defender. The Hot Press Rock Awards had been established in 1978 (with huge input from Dónal) to celebrate and recognise the achievements of Irish artists. The first ceremony is captured on film in the excellent German TV programme ELF 1/2 (i.e., the Macroom documentary).

1988 Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Gig in Dublin  
In celebration of social rights activist Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday, a concert was organised at the Olympia Theatre in Dublin and included a long list of special guests, including Christy Moore, Sinead O’Connor, Mary Black, and Rory. The show was inspired by the June tribute to Mandela held at London’s Wembley Stadium, with Ireland following suit soon after on 17th July. From our archival research, we discovered that Rory’s name appeared on the initial newspaper advertisements for the show, indicating to us his early involvement with the project. From 7PM to 11PM, the Olympia “was jammed backstage, front stage, under the stage and at one stage on the stage,” and as reported in the Evening Herald, profits from the concert split into two causes: charities assisting South African children, and the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement, the latter dedicating funds to refugees of South Africa. On  18th July (Nelson Mandela’s birth date), a ceremony was held in Dublin honouring Mandela with the Freedom of the City of Dublin Award, which was accepted by his then-wife Adelaide Tambo. Mandela would visit Ireland in 1990 following his twenty-seven-year incarceration. 

1988 Gig at the Borderline Club in support of Jo Ann Kelly 
On the last date of his 1988 UK tour, Rory donated the proceeds of his performance at the Borderline Club to the British blues singer and guitarist, Jo Ann Kelly. At the time, Kelly was suffering poor health (she would later be diagnosed with a brain tumour and passed away in 1990). Kelly was a good friend to Rory, and this touching gesture is just another example of his extraordinarily kind nature. We would also like to mention that, following the Miami Showband Massacre in 1975, Rory was one of the first people to donate to the Fund set up to support the band’s families and also played several concerts to raise further funds for the cause.

1989 Irish Rock Week at The Mean Fiddler in London    
The Mean Fiddler was a London music venue established in 1982 by legendary music promoter Vince Power. Power hailed from Kilmacthomas in County Waterford and was, therefore, particularly keen to use his club to promote Irish music, as well as up-and-coming talent and country stars. The venue quickly gained a reputation for its Irish music nights and was the first to showcase new acts like The Pogues and Billy Bragg. In 1989, Power decided to launch an Irish Rock Week, which was sponsored by Ryanair and BMI. It featured such bands as Aslan, Something Happens!, The Fleadh Cowboys and Cypress, Mine!, with Rory chosen to kick off the event on 10th April. Rory’s performance was praised by the Evening Herald who described the packed venue as going “wild with delight” over his music, particularly his “searing powerhouse version” of ‘Messin’ with the Kid’. Organiser Robert Stevenson described the whole Irish Rock Week as “not only good for the audience and the bands, but for the whole Irish music industry.” 

1991 Fender Young Guitarist Competition in Tower Records, London
Shortly after the release of Fresh Evidence, Rory was asked to judge the Fender Young Guitarist competition. 1000 guitarists from across the UK were invited to play without any pedals in their local music shops and were filmed. Rory was then presented with the edited videos of the entries at a later date, watched them and selected his favourite. The lucky winner was Paul Rose and Rory presented him with a Fender ’62 reissue Strat and Vox AC30 at a promotional event in Tower Records in London. When asked about Paul, Rory described him as a “hot player with a hot future” (Paul went on to win a Rory Gallagher custom Stratocaster in 1994 in Fender’s custom guitar competition). We love how intently Rory is listening to Paul in the photo below! This was not the first time that Rory was involved in such an event, however; in 1979, he personally read all entries to a competition where fans were asked to describe his music. He then presented a 1979 sunburst Fender Stratocaster to the winner, Helen Brooks, at HMV in London. Yet another wonderful example of his kindness and humility. 

1992 Fender/Arbiter Hall of Fame Award in Dublin
On 12th August 1992, Rory gave a masterclass for fifty guests and young guitarists at the Guinness Hop Store in Kilbarrack, Dublin. The topics ranged from Rory’s preference of tuning, to his favourite blues artists, as well as outstanding performances of “Walkin’ Blues,” “Pistol Slapper Blues,” “I Wonder Who,” and (with guest Ronnie Drew) “Barley and Grape Rag.” At the masterclass, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gay Mitchell, and Fender’s Tom Nolan honoured Rory with the Fender Hall of Fame award. Behind James Burton of Elvis Presley’s TCB Band, Rory is the second guitarist in the world to receive this award. At the Inaugural Rory Gallagher Memorial Lecture in 1995, Marcus Connaughton said that Rory was extremely touched by the induction because he felt that he had received very few accolades throughout his career, putting this down to the fact that he “always stayed true to his music.”

1992 Irish Red Cross Concert and Civic Reception/Tipperary Crystal Presentation in Cork
Just a few days after the Temple Bar Blues Festival, Rory returned home to Cork for an unannounced guest performance at the Lark by the Lee Festival on 30th August. While there, he also agreed to play an impromptu gig the next day at the city’s Everyman Palace, where the Cork Rock Awards were taking place. He decided to donate all proceeds from the concert to the Irish Red Cross Yugoslav Refugee Appeal. Speaking to the Examiner, Rory said that he had “fond memories” of his visit to Yugoslavia and wanted to do something positive for the refugees. The concert was followed by a civic reception hosted by Lord Mayor Micheál Martin, where Rory was presented with a commemorative piece of Tipperary Crystal to mark his musical achievements. In his presentation speech, the Mayor described Rory as “one of Cork’s greatest sons who has become part of the city’s folklore.” 

When asking Dónal about the event last week, he told us that there was no publicity around it because Rory wanted to keep it “very lowkey.” He also added the following, which we are so happy to share with our readers:

The organisation were delighted with Rory’s support and requested that a delegation and six of the refugees (under a curfew and were travel limited within a radius of their Cherry Orchard, residence in Dublin), would come to Cork for a photo op and receive the cheque, at RTE Cork. The presentation occurred some weeks later, as Rory didn’t wish to get the ‘publicity’, returning from London, I obliged to be the presenter of the funds. I enquired as to what ‘day out’ plans they had for the six refugees, the train ride was more or less it ! So, I called my friends at Ballymaloe Hotel – they would provide a lunch, Micheal Martin invited them to the mayor’s chambers at City Hall and another pal arranged a tour of the Midleton Distillery. At the days end the only english speaking person of the the six, said they wanted me to take them to a favourite bar of mine, so, they could thank me with a pint. Their Red Cross minders reluctantly agreed to their request, as I promised to have them back at the station for the 5:30 pm train to Dublin. On route to the pub, I showed them some of the City’s sites and pointed to them, however, when I looked around, they had all vanished on me!! Luckily, I found them in a department store telling them that if they jumped their handlers, it would be a worst curfew, etc. I took them back to the station a very relieved man.

1993 40th Fender Anniversary Gig
In last month’s blog post, we discussed the inextricable bond between Rory and his 1961 Fender Stratocaster. At Manchester’s Free Trade Hall on 15th September 1993, Rory paid tribute to the instrument by playing at the celebratory gig for Fender Stratocaster’s 40th anniversary. Rory was available to guest star at the event following the cancellation of Joe Walsh at the last minute. Other performers of the night included Scottish singer Frankie Miller, Louisiana guitarist Sherman Robertson and singer-songwriter Sonny Curtis.

1993 Special Acoustic Gig at Inaugural Cork Arts Festival

We dedicated an entire blog post to this topic a few months ago, so we won’t elaborate too much here, but we wanted to at least mention the fantastic acoustic gig that Rory did in honour of his Uncle Jimmy at the Cork Regional Technical College on November 18th, 1993. A real accolade and an event we wish that we could have attended!

1995 Onwards

In the (almost) 27 years since Rory’s tragic passing, Dónal has worked tirelessly to ensure that his brother’s legacy is protected and his name lives on. It is down to his constant hard work and effort (and now also his son Daniel’s) that Rory’s entire back catalogue has been rereleased and his profile grown through social media channels, YouTube and Spotify. In his later years, Rory was increasingly morose, stating that he couldn’t “go away and vanish” like some people wanted and he only hoped to “find a niche” one day, although he didn’t think that he would. Dónal has ensured that Rory has found more than just a niche; he’s become firmly embedded in our hearts and souls. In this final section, we celebrate Rory’s many posthumous achievements. We only wish that he could see them and realise just how highly regarded he still is. 

1995 Temple Bar Blues Festival
The inaugural Temple Bar Blues Festival in Dublin was headlined by Rory in 1992 and has since gone down in Rory history as one of the best performances of his career. 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of this iconic show, which we covered in depth in August’s blog post. Following Rory’s passing, it was decided that the 1995 Temple Bar Blues Festival, which was headlined by Robert Cray, would be dedicated to him. Writing in the run-up the 1995 event, the Evening Herald reflected poignantly on Rory’s 1992 performance: “Blues brothers – and sisters – merged in the fading light of College Green, fans from Ringsend to Ringaskiddy, half them lost in the ecstatic throes of air guitar, the other half just lost in music as Gallagher  plied them with riffs in a myriad of blues hues.” They noted that Rory’s presence would be “felt strongly” at the Festival and that he was sorely missed.

1995 Rory Gallagher Memorial Lecture
In November 1995, writer and broadcaster Marcus Connaughton delivered the inaugural Rory Gallagher memorial lecture as part of the Cork Institute of Technology’s Arts Festival. Marcus’ speech reflected on what a special person Rory was and ended with a beautiful passage from Martin Carthy: “Words, like fire, passion, friendliness, openness, these are all words which apply. He was an open book. But one word, and one word only, can apply it seems to the person who makes life worthwhile by example, who loves his trade and the people who play it and one who tells them so. Who makes his peers feel good by his simple presence. Rory Gallagher graced music as he graced humanity. The word is Grace.” The memorial lecture went on to become a staple part of the Arts Festival over the next five years.

1995 Rue Rory Gallagher
In December 1994, Rory gave his final concert in France at Le Plan in Paris. Shortly after his death on 14th June 1995, the owners of the club asked their local representatives to name a street after him. They agreed and, in November 1995, the local mayor in the Paris suburb of Ris-Orangie unveiled the street sign “Rue Rory Gallagher” at a ceremony attended by Rory’s mother Mona, Dónal and many fans. It was the first time that a street in France had been named after a rockstar.

Perhaps lesser known, there is also an “Impasse Rory Gallagher” in the small village of Bédoin in France. One of the residents was a huge Rory fan (he, in fact, spilt wine on Rory’s jeans when they met!) and asked the mayor for permission, which he duly granted.

1996 Hot Press Rory Gallagher Rock Musician Award   
Less than a year after Rory’s untimely death, Hot Press (with Dónal’s permission) established the Rory Gallagher Rock Musician Award. Its first recipient was U2’s The Edge. In his acceptance speech, the Edge explained that Rory was a huge inspiration to him and that it was his performance at Macroom in 1977 that made him want to become a rockstar. He praised Rory for putting Ireland on the map when it came to rock music and for preparing the way for all the acts who followed.

1996 Fender 50th Anniversary Tribute to Rory
On 30th November 1996, a show took place at Wembley Conference Centre in London to mark Fender’s 50th Anniversary. It was decided to dedicate the show to Rory, and a host of stars turned up to mark the occasion, including Peter Green, Yngwie Malmsteem, Hank Marvin, Jack Bruce and Cozy Powell. At the end of the show, an emotional Dónal came on stage to thank everyone and was presented with a Stratocaster signed by all the artists who had taken part.

1997 Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Stratocaster 
In 1997, the designers at the Fender Custom Shop met with Dónal Gallagher in Los Angeles to begin the process of a replica of Rory’s 1961 sunburst Fender Stratocaster. Initially, Fender built and released only 40 replicas for European sale, though this quickly changed following an inundation of requests for more. According to the Fender Custom Shop website, the features of the replica include, “five Sperzel tuners and one Gotoh tuner […] three custom-wound ‘60s single-coil pickups, aged chrome hardware, 21 medium jumbo frets, and a synthetic bone nut,” in addition to the worn finish and maple neck.

1997 New York Fleadh Dedication 
To mark the two-year anniversary of his passing, the New York Guinness Fleadh dedicated the festival in Rory’s honour in 1997. Vince Power, owner of the Mean Fiddler club in London, established the Guinness Fleadh in 1990. The festival was held in various locations, including New York, Boston, London, and Glasgow to celebrate Gaelic culture, dance, and music. The Rory Gallagher band performed at the Glasgow Fleadh in May 1992 and the London Fleadh in Finsbury Park in June 1992, accompanied onstage by Milanese violinist and Rory’s friend, Roberto Manes. According to a June edition of the Irish Independent, musicians Van Morrison and Christy Moore paid tribute to Rory during their performances at the 1997 New York Fleadh. 

1997 Rory Gallagher Memorial Sculpture in Cork
On 25th October 1997, as part of the Cork Jazz Festival, a bronze memorial sculpture was unveiled in the newly named Rory Gallagher Place (changed by Dónal from the initial suggestion of Rory Gallagher Square because “Rory was not square!”) off Paul Street. The sculpture was created by Rory’s childhood friend Geraldine Creedon and takes the form of a guitar on one side, with the other side made up of intertwined lyrics from the Jinx album. The piece is deliberately abstract because, at the time, Mona could not cope with the idea of seeing Rory cast in stone or bronze.

There are also a number of other Rory tributes around Cork city, including the Rory Gallagher Music Library, the Rory Gallagher Lecture Theatre at Munster Technological University (previously Cork Institute of Technology) and a plaque on MacCurtain Street marking where Rory used to live. There was also a Rory Gallagher Bar in Midleton where a number of Rory tributes were held throughout the 1990s, but the property was sadly sold in 2002 and the new owners changed the name.

1999 Blues Hall of Fame Induction
Although not often spoken about, Rory was, in fact, inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1999. It is worth copying the induction speech in full here as it truly captures the tremendous man that Rory was: “Anyone fortunate enough to have attended any of Rory Gallagher’s blistering hot performances could never forget him. He expressed his passion and love of blues music every time he stepped on stage, poured his heart and soul into everything he played, and he swept the audience up with him along the way. He was an ambassador for the blues- brought it to new audiences all over the world. He was an inspiration and example to young musicians wherever he went. He was an extraordinarily talented musician and artist, yet very humble, generous, and kind in spirit. He rightly deserves to be recognized for his contribution to blues music and musicians.”

1999 Star Club Plaque in Hamburg
The Star Club was a legendary music venue, which achieved worldwide renown through the performances of the Beatles who played there in 1962. Rory performed there several times with Taste in 1969. Although the building has since been demolished, a plaque was unveiled on its site in 1999 listing all the artists who once performed there along with a large image of a guitar. Rory’s name can be found left of centre.

2000 Rock Hospital Plaque in Ballyshannon
Quite fittingly, Rory was born in the Rock Hospital in Ballyshannon and, in 2000, a plaque was unveiled on the site (now a nursing home) by Dónal. It sits on top of a flowerbed on a fountain at the entrance and features an engraving and lyrics from Goin’ To My Hometown. Looking at photos of the plaque is somewhat bittersweet as Rory joked in an 1988 interview with Gay Byrne that they “hadn’t put the plaque up yet!” At the unveiling ceremony, Dónal described feeling “taken aback” at being in the very room in which Rory was born. He discussed the important place that Ballyshannon held in his brother’s heart and that the Donegal character was “a collage of everything that Rory was: quiet, nicely spoken, would do anything for you, very friendly, the home is everything.”

2002 An Post Stamps
In 2002, the Irish postal system, An Post, released an Irish Rock Legends series of stamps that featured Phil Lynott, U2, Van Morrison and, of course, Rory. The stamp shows a young Rory with his iconic Stratocaster on a gold backdrop.

2006 Rory Gallagher Corner and Strat Sculpture in Dublin
On 16th June 2006, a sculpture of Rory’s beloved Fender Stratocaster was unveiled by The Edge on the newly named Rory Gallagher Corner in Dublin’s Temple Bar. The sculpture was the brainchild of Rory fan Mark Walsh who Dónal thanked at the ceremony for his “perseverance and hard work in bringing this endeavour to fruition.” The proposal had been initially blocked by the National Library of Ireland, whose Photographic Archive is located in the same street, as they felt it would “adversely impact on the identity of the Archive.”

2007 Ulster Hall Plaque in Belfast
Belfast always held a special place in Rory’s heart and he never turned his back on the city, continuing to return throughout the 1970s for his annual Irish Tour at Christmas, despite the ongoing Troubles. It seems only fitting then that on 29th December 2007, a plaque was unveiled on the Ulster Hall to mark his performances there. The unveiling took place as part of a special commemorative day that included a screening of Rory’s 1984 Ulster Hall performance, an exhibition and a Rory Gallagher Rock School session.

2009 Rory Gallagher Music Studios in Camden Palace Hotel Community Arts Centre
In 2009, Camden Palace Hotel Community Arts Centre was established in Cork city centre as a charity-based venue offering theatre productions, art house cinema, creative workshops, concerts and art exhibitions. Right from its origins, Rory’s nephew Eoin was involved and was behind the establishment of the Rory Gallagher Music Studios  within the venue, which provided affordable recording facilities for local musicians. The Studios consisted of two adjacent spaces – a live/rehearsal room and an adjoining recording suite – and were kitted out with Rory memorabilia donated by Dónal. Unfortunately, Camden Place closed its doors in 2017 due to financial difficulties and has since been unable to find another suitable venue. Nonetheless, it calls itself a “homeless organisation” and still hopes to open a new arts and community centre in the future. 

2010 Rory Gallagher Statue in Ballyshannon
Following on from the Rock Hospital plaque ten years earlier, Ballyshannon unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Rory on 2nd June 2010. The statue was sculpted by David Annand and features the opening lyrics of “Follow Me” on its side. Speaking at the unveiling, Dónal stated that Rory had always wanted to perform in Ballyshannon, but sadly never had the opportunity. He told the story of him, Rory and Mona once being in the town and seeing a sign for the Ballyshannon Folk Festival. Rory expressed an interest in playing, but when Dónal said that he would make some calls to arrange it, Rory became embarrassed and asked him not to.

Ballyshannon is, of course, also home to the annual Rory Gallagher International Festival, which was started in 2002 and has won numerous best festival awards. It is also important to mention that Rory was awarded a posthumous Freedom of Ballyshannon by the town council in 2008.

2013 Classic Rock Award
In 2013, Rory was announced as the winner of the Tommy Vance Inspiration award at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour. The winners are decided by votes from Classic Rock magazine readers, and celebrated at a special awards ceremony. Dónal accepted the honour on behalf of his brother on 14thNovember, dedicating it to the fans (“I am very grateful to all who fly the Rory flag”).

2014 UK Guitar Auction
The charitable efforts from Rory continue on into the twenty-first century when his custom-made JS Berlin Legend guitar was auctioned off to raise money for the medical treatment of a fan. The guitar was designed and built by Patrick Eggle, and originally commissioned by a fan as a gift for Rory in 1992. The guitar includes a glossy finish and Rory’s initials inlaid on the twelfth fret. It sold for 25,000 pounds at 1818 Auctioneers on 11th April 2014.

2015 Rory Gallagher Conference Room
In 2015, Fender HQ in Scottsdale, Arizona unveiled a Rory Gallagher conference room. Acclaimed Scottish artist Alec Galloway created a beautiful piece of Rory artwork for the room, which can be seen in the photo below. Galloway was subsequently presented with a Rory Gallagher Signature Stratocaster as means of saying thank you. Interviewed shortly after the unveiling, Dónal stated that Rory had such “a disbelief in himself and the talent that he had” that he “would love to bring him back” and “tell him to look again at his talent and his legacy.” 

2015 Shandon Bells Tribute and Remember Rory Event
To mark the 20th anniversary of Rory’s passing, the iconic Shandon Bells of St Anne’s Church in his hometown of Cork rang out with the sounds of ‘Tattoo’d Lady’. The bells were pulled by Rory’s nephew Eoin at 13:10pm on 13th June. At the same time, local radio stations (RedFM, 96fm, C103, UCC 98.3FM) all simultaneously played the song over the airwaves. It was part of a larger Remember Rory event that took part across the city and featured tribute bands and poetry readings. Dónal had the following to say about the event: “On behalf of the Gallagher family, we are very grateful to all concerned in Cork, who have participated in marking my brother Rory’s 20th anniversary. The ‘soundscape’ throughout the county demonstrates the resonance and enduring legacy of his music — Rory forever.” 

2016 Winner of Ireland’s Greatest Love Song
In February 2016, the Irish Rock ‘n’ Roll Museum created a list of the greatest love songs of all time from popular Irish artists. Rory’s “I Fall Apart” from his 1971 debut solo record reached the top position, surpassing classics such as Thin Lizzy’s “Still in Love With You” and Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares To You”.

2018 Rory Gallagher Boardroom
On 16th March 2018, the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, paid tribute to Rory by naming the boardroom in the Irish HQ of Fender Guitars after him. A number of guests attended the event including Dónal and his son Eoin Gallagher; the Managing Director of Fender in Europe, Graeme Mathieson; and Scottish artist, Alec Galloway, who created an artwork for the room based on elements of Rory’s instruments, such as a guitar’s whammy bar and bridge. The President kindly spoke of Rory’s legacy, particularly in connection with the Fender Stratocaster, and how his “incredible music” has “inspired everybody here today.” 

2018 Commemorative Coin
To celebrate what would have been Rory’s 70th birthday, the Central Bank of Ireland commissioned a commemorative coin as part of their ‘Modern Irish Musicians’ collection (which ran from 2018–2020). Artist Michael Guilfoyle designed the silver coin, showing an ‘action’ shot of Rory in a plaid shirt and playing his Fender Stratocaster. The coin was unveiled at a special ceremony hosted by Irish President Michael D. Higgins on 20thSeptember, and has the value of fifteen pounds. Higgins praised Rory’s natural talent, determination, and career, stating that not only was he one of the greatest musician’s within Irish history, but “in our history.” The coin was limited to 3,000 pieces, which sold out in only one day! Speculating on how Rory would have reacted to the news, Dónal confirmed that he “would have been very modest about all of this and stayed in the dressing room and not come out.” However, at the same time, Dónal assured that Rory “would be honoured and proud too.”

2018 Chart Success
A fact, which comes up time and time again, is that Rory never had a number one song in the charts during his lifetime. However, we believe this is the wrong way to think about it, because in 2020 Rory achieved even better than one hit record. Following the re-release of his catalogue in 2018, Rory had fourteen of his albums positioned within the Top-22 UK Jazz and Blues chart in one week! Rory’s Irish Tour 74’ reached the no.1 slot, and the rest was as follows: Tattoo (no. 5), Live in Europe (no. 6), Rory Gallagher (no. 7), Deuce (no. 8), Blueprint (no. 9), Calling Card (no. 10), Stage Struck (no. 11) Photo Finish (no. 12), Top Priority (no. 13), Against The Grain (no. 15), Defender (no. 17), Notes From San Francisco (no. 19), Jinx (no. 20), Fresh Evidence (no. 22). Hot Press editor Niall Stokes highlighted this achievement as “an extraordinary statement about the enduring appeal of Rory’s music,” and that not only do his songs indicate immense talent and hard work, but that they are still “revered by fans all over the world.”

Moving forward to a year later, Rory continued his streak of success in the charts when the album Blues debuted on the Top-50 Official Irish Albums Chart at no. 4 (surpassing his 2011 position of no. 5 for Notes From San Francisco). However, it was in 2020 when he would finally reach the top of the Billboard Blues Album Chart with the release of Check Shirt Wizard – Live in ’77. Dónal later reflected on the momentous occasion in an interview: “[when] I saw that I thought, ‘well I can die happy now’ – not that I want to – but to me, that would be the feather in his cap, and nothing less than he deserved.”

2019 Planet Rock Radio’s Best Blues Artist
In 2019, Rory surpassed guitarists such as Stevie Ray Vaughn (no. 4), Jimi Hendrix (no. 8), Eric Clapton (no. 6), and even one of his favourite blues artist’s Muddy Waters (no. 12), to be ranked first on Planet Rock Radio’s list for ‘The Best Blues Artist of all Time’. Listeners were asked to vote for their favourite musician, with Rory receiving most votes that year at 14%.

2019 Anniversary Strat: Celebrating 40 Years of the Fender Commemorative Model Stratocaster
In 2019, author and guitar enthusiast Gary Davies released a book focusing on the anniversary Stratocasters released by Fender throughout their many commemorative years. The book is divided into two parts: the first is a chronology of every anniversary Stratocaster since 1979 and the stories behind how they ended up in the hands of legendary musicians; the latter half is dedicated to the reflections of the many craftsmen involved in creating these guitars, including favourite commissions and memories. Rory received his anniversary Stratocaster in 1979 during his visit to New York, the Fender executives famously mistaking his use of the battered 1961 Stratocaster to be a result of being unable to afford a new one, rather than personal preference. Rory’s story is featured in chapter one of Davies’ book, along with photographs of Rory accepting his new Stratocaster and what the guitar looks like today. In a 1985 interview with Guitarist magazine, Rory shared some brief comments on his modifications to the guitar: “I was honoured to receive a Strat from the Fender Company and I used it to record some of the tracks on ‘Jinx.’ But the first thing I did was to remove all the finish off the neck and put in some heavy frets. I also removed the middle tone pot – so it operates like a Telecaster.”

2020 Vintage Guitar Hall of Fame Player
For the annual Hall of Fame awards hosted by Vintage Guitar magazine, readers are encouraged to vote online for Player of the Year. In 2020, Rory was inducted as a Hall of Fame Player, sharing the category with Eric Johnson and Jerry Garcia.

2020 Hot Press 25th Anniversary Magazine
In 2020, Hot Press paid tribute to the 25th anniversary of Rory’s passing with a dedicated issue. Rory was remembered through a number of poignant reflections, articles, and photographs, some of which we will list now. Two of our favourite interviews with Rory were included in this edition: his 1983 Mad Hatter Q&A, and conversation with journalist Bill Graham in preparation for his release of Defender in 1987 (‘Rory Storms Back!’). Additionally, across the first few pages is the oration, which was delivered by long-time Hot Press editor Niall Stokes, at the Commemoration Service for Rory in November 1995 at London’s Brompton Oratory. Lastly, the scattered quotes throughout the issue from musicians such as Brian May, Slash, and Johnny Marr regarding Rory’s inspiring influence continue to build upon the mark he left on the musical world.  

June 2021 Hometown Blues Poem by William Wall
William Wall is an Irish novelist, poet and short story writer who was made the First Poet Laureate of Cork (2021-2022). In his role, Wall produced a monthly poem that was inspired by the city. His first poem ‘Hometown Blues’  was dedicated to Rory and came to him when he was waiting for his first COVID-19 vaccination at Cork City Hall. As he waited, he thought of all the other men and women his age around him and wondered whether they were at City Hall in 1971 when Rory played there. A copy of the poem is now on the wall in the Rory Gallagher Music Library, while an audio version can be found here. Influenced by the poem, Cork-based writer Ciara Dune also wrote a beautiful reflective piece about how Rory would have coped during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

2021 Ireland’s Greatest Music Artist Award
On 19th August 2021, Rory beat a host of other musicians to win the title of Ireland’s Greatest Music Artist following a vote hosted by Dublin-based radio station Newstalk. Radio presenter Tom Dunne announced the award, describing Rory as “the most loved, the most gentle, the most unaffected and the most down to earth man” and “one of the greatest guitar players of all time, without question.”

2021 Rory Gallagher 50th Anniversary Edition
On September 3rd, 2021, the estate released a deluxe box set to honour the 50th anniversary of Rory’s solo debut. The box set included a new mix of the original tracks, plus alternate takes and bonus songs. In addition, a remastered version of Rory’s 1971 Paris concert with his new band following the split of Taste was featured in the set, along with a hardback book of previously unseen photographs, interviews, and memorabilia. To further entice Rory fans, the estate released a limited edition Neon Orange vinyl of Rory’s appearance on John Peel’s Sunday Concert.

Forthcoming: Ulster Hall Statue
In 2016, the Belfast City Council announced the approval of a Rory statue on Bedford Street outside of the Ulster Hall. The project was proposed by east-Belfast’s Wilgar Community Forum, and was warmly received by Dónal, who highlighted Rory’s fondness for Belfast throughout his life: “[Rory] was looking for a place where he felt he was at one with the music, and Belfast offered that.”

Forthcoming: Plaque at Cork Regional Technical College
As we shared in our January blog post, plans have been put in motion for the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to Rory in what is now called The Rory Gallagher Lecture Theatre in Cork Regional Technical College (today Munster Technological University). Due to adverse weather, the initial unveiling ceremony had to be cancelled. However, we are looking forward to the announcement of a rescheduled date sometime in the near future!

Forthcoming: Cork Rory Festival
Last year, Cork City Councillor Shane O’Callaghan announced the wonderful news of a new Rory festival in Cork. O’Callaghan proposed the event to Cork City Council, and following a successful application, the annual weekend festival will possibly be held in Rory Gallagher Place in the coming years. As O’Callaghan stated, not only will the occasion be beneficial for Cork’s tourism, but more importantly, Rory’s growing legacy and the recognition of his “enormous contribution to Cork and to music.”

Ongoing: Music in Movies
We all know of Rory’s love for movies, however, what some of us might not know is how many of Rory’s songs have been included in movies. For our final note of achievement, we have compiled a list of films and television series’ where Rory’s music appears on the soundtrack.

1990s/2000s
Fry and Laurie (“The Loop”)

2003
Grand Theft Parsons (“Bad Penny”)

2008
Waveriders (“In Your Town”)

2012
Art of Conflict: The Murals of Northern Ireland (“Heaven’s Gate,” “Kid Gloves,” “Walking Wounded,” “Middle Name,” “Slumming Angel”)

Silence (“I Fall Apart”)

The Endless Winter (“Crest of a Wave”)

2015
A Patch of Fog (“Off the Handle,” “Loanshark Blues,” “A Million Miles Away”)

2019
Animal Kingdom S4, E10 (“Cradle Rock”)

End of Sentence (“Just The Smile”)

2020
Boys From County Hell (“Bad Penny”)

2021
Last Night In Soho (“Bad Penny”)

Emerald Tap (“Crest of a Wave”)

Ongoing: Documentaries
When Rory passed in June 1995, he was honoured with many tributes such as documentary films, beginning with Gallagher’s Blues: A Requiem for Rory (1995). The film was broadcast on RTE and told Rory’s life through concert footage and interviews with former band members. 

Rockpalast honoured Rory with a documentary produced in 1997, intertwining information about Rory’s career and life with concert footage (taken mostly from his many appearances at Rockpalast). 

In 2005,  Gary Moore paid tribute to Rory Gallagher by narrating The Story of Rory Gallagher documentary for 6 Music. The documentary featured rare archive recordings, as well as interviews with Dónal, Martin Carthy, Jack Bruce,  Ronnie Drew, Georgie Fame, Johnny Mar and Brian May.

In 1993, Rory was interviewed for the documentary Strat Masters (released later in 2007), which highlights the profound influence of the Fender Stratocaster in the music industry as told by the guitarists known to use strats. Director Michael Bayley Hughes and former writer of Guitarist magazine Bob Hewitt produced the film. Portions of Rory’s interview for Strat Masters have been uploaded to YouTube. 

In 2010, director Ian Thuillier collaborated with the Gallagher estate to produce to documentary Ghost Blues: The Story of Rory Gallagher. The documentary was originally broadcast on television, and has since been released on DVD and online platforms. Interviews with musicians such as Bill Wyman, Johnny Marr, and Slash (to name a few) demonstrate the impact of Rory’s music and legacy. 

In 2017, Irish radio legend Dave Fanning (to whom we dedicated May’s Rewriting Rory post) launched his ten-part series  Story of Irish Rock on RTÉ. The first episode explored the origins of Irish rock and, therefore, focused particularly on Rory, as well as Van Morrison and Phil Lynott.

In October 2020, Planet Rock Radio aired a one-hour documentary about Rory, which was hosted by Thin Lizzy’s Scott Gorham and featured contributions from Dónal, Brian May, The Edge, Slash, Joe Bonamassa and Alex Lifeson.

In December 2021, RTÉ aired a documentary entitled How Ireland Rocked the 70s, which used archive footage to tell the story of several ground-breaking festivals in Ireland. Rory featured heavily in the Macroom Mountain Dew Festival part of the documentary, which also included an interview with Dónal.

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So, there you have it: our ultimate guide to Rory’s post-82 achievements. Looking back over this long list, we are filled with so much love and pride for Rory and all that he achieved in his later years and continues to achieve posthumously. Of course, we are equally proud of all he achieved in the 1970s, but we feel that it is truly criminal that none of the above is spoken about in the same way and is so often overlooked.

Who needs that old Hendrix “quote” that’s churned out time and time again to justify Rory’s talent when this incredible list of achievements speaks for itself? So, next time you hear someone start those fateful lines “when Jimi Hendrix was asked…” just take a deep breath, roll your eyes, and refer them back to this post!

We will, however, end on another quote, one from fan Gordon Morris. In his beautiful words, Gordon manages to summarise what makes Rory so special far beyond his musical achievements:

To sum up Rory, if you wrote down every attribute you could think of to make up a perfect person or friend, you would probably look at that list and be convinced that no one could quite match up. But, in fact, you would have listed something approaching the gentle man that was Rory Gallagher

And for this reason and all of the above, we love Rory so deeply and want to celebrate his remarkable life today with this post.

Happy birthday, Mr Blues!

We are most grateful to Dónal for his support when writing this blog post and for sharing with us some previously unpublished stories and granting us permission to use them.