To begin with, how did you become aware of Rory’s music?

COLLEEN: My husband Bill was a longtime fan of blues and rock music.  He had always attended  live concerts of all the great blues/rock bands and guitarists when they came to town.  He had a good friend who used to play the electric guitar and loved blues/rock as well. It was this friend who told my husband, “You gotta see this guy, Rory Gallagher!”  We hadn’t heard of Rory Gallagher before our friend told us about him.   Rory wasn’t real main stream out here like the rest of the big known name guitarists that had contracts with the big record companies.  So, one afternoon after a football game those 2 guys headed to Winterland in San Francisco, bought their tickets at the box office, and went inside to see Rory play! My husband said Rory was really something and that I had to see him next time he came to San Francisco!  From then on, every time Rory came to the city, my husband would buy tickets for every single show.  I went to all the rest of Rory’s shows from that point on and took my camera to about half of them. They were some of the best performances I have ever seen!  And that is how it all started back in the early 1970’s.

CAROLYN: For me, it was simply a matter of, it’s what I grew up on. I was just a youngster in the ‘70s, and it was very much commonplace in the house, that the stereo/record player was on nearly every afternoon or evening playing all the greats. I had no idea. I was just a kid. My father would disappear from the dinner table and the next thing I knew that “get your attention” opening guitar riff from, “Souped Up Ford” was blasting through the speakers. That one seemed to be a regular as I recall. Or the Rory howl and “Shin Kicker” live coming through the speakers.  It was just the way it was. I got an early education in blues-rock, and it has stuck with me to this day.

What do you like best about Rory’s music?

COLLEEN:  One of the things I liked best about Rory’s music was the variety in the style of music and instruments.  It was a real treat to watch him go from playing loud fast rock on his trademark paint-worn Sunburst Fender, then change pace and switch to his Martin D-35 for a folksy/blues  “On The Western Plain”.   He would perform  “Going To My Hometown” on the mandolin,  or change to a 12 bar blues or a Ragtime ​song on his old National guitar.   I don’t recall other rock guitarists of that time doing that. I liked the realness and grit of his lyrics and the general flow of music on his own compositions.   And I liked the unique sound of his Fender and how he had it rigged.  If Rory played with other guitarists, I could always pick out his guitar by the sound. 

CAROLYN: Other than the obvious energy in every song, live or studio recording, it’s authentic.  In, “Going To My Hometown”  if you listen to not only the lyrics but how they’re delivered, with the feeling and inflections in his voice and emotion, you’re on that journey with him. For as great of a guitarist as he was, he was equally one Hell of a vocalist as well! “Mama’s in the kitchen baking up a pie,” you can practically smell that pie baking! “I’m getting lonesome, I’m getting blue, I need someone to talk to…” you can hear the desperate almost depression in his voice and then he picks himself up by the bootstraps, and he takes you on his hometown journey! “The day I left; you know the rain was pouring down.” If you can’t feel that, see it in your mind, and put yourself right there with him, you have no soul. They say the blues is a feeling. Rory felt it, got you to feel it too, and it was genuine. Very few have that gift and ability.

Do you play music yourself? If so, how has Rory influenced you?

COLLEEN: I studied a little guitar.  I later discovered the harp was more suitable for my fingers and I continue to play to this day.  I’m in the process of acquiring my 3rd harp which will be smaller than my Celtic harp and have a much different sound.  Rory discovered his passion for guitar very early in life and kept expanding on his art form with various guitars and music.  One learns that there are no limits to creating and learning new music.  I would encourage any parent with a child that shows a passion for a certain musical instrument to do everything possible to provide the means and encouragement for them to learn it.

CAROLYN: NOPE! I didn’t get that gene of being able to play, nor the patience to want to learn. LOL! I was given the gift of knowing good music when I hear it, and Rory set that bar high. But I cannot simulate or duplicate it in any way, shape or form.

What does Rory’s music mean to you?

COLLEEN: It takes me back to the days when we could watch and hear Rory and his wonderful band play.  It means I can mentally drift back to times when life was more simple than today.  I get to replay some of those concerts in my head. Music affects moods.    It means I can relax to the slow acoustic or blues music, feel upbeat to the mandolin, or crank up the loud rock music when I’m in my car and want to get somewhere quickly.  LOL!   Yes, I still play his CDs in my car!!

CAROLYN: It’s home, it’s good times, and it’s memories. Rory was my first live concert at 9 years old! I can remember sitting right up front against the stage and having my mother shove cotton in my ears!  A number of Rory’s songs will remind me of something from when I was younger, whether than means 9 years old, or 20 years old, or 30+ years old. Rory’s album Jinx was released in 1982. I was 11 years old. I can remember establishing some of my own favorites from that album – “Big Guns,” “The Devil Made Me Do It,” “Loose Talk,” all Rory originals, and they were just the best thing ever! And then his Defender album was released with a bunch more! “Loanshark Blues,” “Continental Op,” “Road To Hell!” Still favorites to this day, which allows me to keep talking about him and introduce him to others. Just within the last couple of years alone I’ve turned a couple of people on to him, people older than me, and now they can’t get enough! 

When was the first time you saw Rory live?

COLLEEN: I saw Rory and his band for the first time in the 1970’s.

What did you enjoy most about the concert?

COLLEEN: Everything!!  What a great band!!  The showmanship, the talent, the passion and the energy were outstanding.  And all his band members were superb as well!  I loved to watch Gerry McAvoy on bass!  What energy he projected into every piece they played!  And the drummers…. Rod D’Ath…or Ted McKenna…..what stamina and strength!!!  I’ve recently watched DVDs of several Rory concerts and closely observed each musician in the band.  They were all perfectionists and played their music with such intensity.   They gave it their all.

What do you remember most about it?

COLLEEN: That Rory HOWL!!  OMG!!  His throaty vocals.  The shake of his head and long hair flying while ripping into some screaming electric guitar licks.  In the middle of one fast wild song he put his Fender down on one side of the stage and walked away from it; then, turned around and waved for it to come back to him.   I thought for sure that guitar was going to stand up on edge and jump its way back to him in beat with the bass and drums…LOLOL! Also, everybody had a great time!  I always listened to comments from new fans after seeing his shows, curious about their thoughts about what they had just witnessed.  They were blown away and had never heard or seen anything like him before.  Probably never will again either!

Please share with us what led you to write to Rory at The Stone with a wish to play “Moonchild” for your mother’s birthday and what the whole experience was like?

CAROLYN: What led to my letter to Rory was lack of a birthday gift! LOL! With Rory in town around her birthday, I thought I would give it a try. I had nothing to lose, and if he didn’t dedicate her song, I would have never said anything, but it was nerve wracking trying to pull it off! I had successfully written letters to musicians and San Francisco Bay Area sports figures in the past and had a pretty consistent track record of getting something in return in the mail. Timing was going to be the key to success for this to work. I didn’t want to send a letter too early, for fear of it being lost or tossed in the trash by the venue. And obviously if it got there late, well that wasn’t going to work.  Back then the mail service was much more reliable and predictable. I put my letter, addressed to him, in care of The Stone, in the mail two days before the show. My letter was one page, handwritten, explaining what big fans my parents were of his and how they were “regulars” at his San Francisco Bay Area gigs. I explained how I wasn’t going to be able to attend, but that my parents were going to be there and that it was my mother’s birthday. I told him that her favorite song was, “Moonchild,” and asked if he could dedicate it to her that night. I remember telling him my favorite song was, “Last Of The Independents.” I have no idea if he played it that night. LOL! I kept the letter short, sweet, and to the point, figuring he’d be busy in a musician’s world of chaos. When my mother asked me the next day what I had done, *I* couldn’t believe it! Then it gets you wondering – Did someone just pass along the request, or did he actually read it? Either way it doesn’t really matter. He not only played her the song but did it second song into the show! As she said, it spoke to his character.  It affirmed who I had him built up to be, as a person, in my mind. Nobody wants the disappointment of someone not living up to their fantasy expectations. Clearly Rory didn’t disappoint!

What do you remember about the 1991 San Francisco gig? How did it feel for Rory to play “Moonchild” and dedicate it to you for your birthday?

COLLEEN: I remember standing outside The Stone on Broadway in San Francisco in the late afternoon/early evening waiting for the doors to open.The person in line behind me asked if I had ever seen Rory and his band before. I replied, “Yes….I had seen Rory at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco …all 4 shows too”.  “Well,” said the person in line, “He’s got fat since then.”  While thinking to myself this guy was an ass, I replied something to the effect of, “Well……just as long as he can still play, who cares?!” Shortly thereafter, Rory pulled up in front of  the venue in an old beat-up Ford station wagon.   He and his crew started unloading all the guitars and equipment for his show, while Gerry McAvoy carried in his own bass and equipment.

The Stone’s interior had a dance area in front by the stage.  We were standing about halfway back in the audience.  Rory had just finished his opening song.   Then he said, ” This next one is for Colleen!” and began tearing into Moonchild.  My jaw dropped wide open.  I looked to my right and some people were holding up their drinks saying, “Here’s to Colleen!”…. and the house rocked with the wild sounds of Moonchild with people dancing, jumping up and down having a great time!   My brain quickly recalled little clues about my favorite song Moonchild.  Weeks before this concert my daughter kept asking me about my favorite Rory Gallagher song.  I repeatedly stated that I couldn’t name JUST ONE and would name several songs for her.  She was adamant and wanted only ONE song.  Finally, after her never ending persistence I said loudly, “MOONCHILD!!!”  The persistent questioning instantly stopped, and I had forgotten about it, until then. That night, at that moment, it suddenly made sense.   I would have to wait until the next day to ask my daughter if she was responsible for this.  The next day I stood in front of Carolyn and simply asked, “What did you do?”  “What?” she replied.   I explained what had happened at The Stone and she just stood there with a beaming mission accomplished grin on her face.  It’s probably the best my best birthday gift ever. I was beyond surprised that something like that actually happened and was grateful nobody knew where I was in the audience.  But it also shows the character of Rory Gallagher.  A single letter to him from my daughter requesting a song could have simply been tossed aside or into the trash bin, or never even looked at.  But it wasn’t and I’ll never forget that night.

Did you ever get to meet Rory? If so, what was your lasting impression of him?

COLLEEN: My husband Bill and I would always get to the venue very early to get the best seats.  One time we were waiting and sitting by the front door of The Old Waldorf in San Francisco.  Rory and his band came out of the door probably to go get dinner.   Bill stood up and started talking to Rory asking something about his guitars or a certain song.  Rory did stop and talk and was very very nice.  He was kind, approachable, accommodating, and humble.  At the end of his show that night I did get to shake his hand as he slowly walked along the front edge of the stage shaking the hands of the fans up front. Everyone that I have ever talked to about Rory (and several were from Ireland) have always said what a humble, kind, person he was, and there was no one better.  I concur.

To read our article about Rory’s 1991 USA tour, please click this link!