Some years ago, when I was reading Rory Gallagher: The Life and Times by Marcus Connaughton, I came across a quote that has stayed with me ever since. It was from a man named Gordon Morris:

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.

It struck me immediately as one of the most beautiful and accurate reflections of Rory I had ever heard. In the book, Gordon and his wife Dorothy were simply described as fans, but I felt sure that there was far more to their story than that.

Then, a few years later when browsing through Rory’s guitars on the official website, I came across a 1980s Chris Eccleshall custom-built Telecaster. The plaque on the back said:

Presented to Rory    
Gordon Morris          
Eccleshall Guitars

The name leapt out at me. Who was this Gordon? From the inscription, I (wrongly) assumed that he worked at Eccleshall’s guitar workshop and that was how he and Rory’s paths first crossed. My incorrect assumption deepened when I noticed another instrument on the website: a 1992 Patrick Eggle JS Berlin Legend guitar, also gifted to Rory by Gordon.

From that point on, I knew I wanted to speak to Gordon – first for this blog and later for my book – but there was one problem: I had no idea how to find him! I searched on social media, forums, Google searches… but found nothing. Eventually, I filed it away as one of those unanswered questions, perhaps for another time, and thought about it no further.

Then, in April 2025, something quite unexpected happened.

Out of the blue, I received a notification of a new comment on the blog. When I opened it, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. It was Gordon Morris himself! He had somehow come across my work and left a lovely message. I replied almost immediately, still slightly in disbelief, and asked whether he might consider taking part in a Q&A for Rewriting Rory.

Gordon’s response told me everything I needed to know about the type of man he is and, in turn, the type of friend he was to Rory: he didn’t say yes straight away.

Instead, he very politely asked for some time to think it over. He explained how private Rory had been and how deeply he valued the trust between them. He would never want to betray that. It was a response that spoke volumes about loyalty, integrity and a protectiveness that I wholeheartedly understood and respected.

Over the past year, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to get to know Gordon better. Through our conversations, it became clear that he and his wife Dorothy were far more than fans; they were close, trusted friends of Rory right through to the very end. His perspective, shared so generously and with such love, has helped deepen my own understanding of Rory in new ways. And what’s grown between us over that time is something I genuinely value: a sense of trust, warmth and a shared appreciation for Rory’s life and legacy. I can’t quite explain it, but I somehow felt an instant connection with Gordon and I can’t help but think that Rory had a hand in our paths crossing at exactly the right moment.

So, when Gordon eventually agreed to take part in this Q&A, I knew it would be something special. He has always remained out of the spotlight, and his story is one that very few people know. But he felt, in his own time and on his own terms, that now was the right moment to share it.

It also feels like the right time to share it here. This week is always a difficult one for those who love Rory – a moment to reflect and remember. It’s hard to believe that this 14 June marks 31 years since we lost him. Over the coming days, I’ll be sharing parts of my conversation with Gordon. I hope it brings a sense of closeness to Rory and perhaps even a few smiles during what is a very bittersweet time.

Thank you, dear Gordon, for your friendship and the trust you’ve placed in me.

When did you first discover Rory Gallagher’s music, and what was it about his style that initially caught your attention?

Mine was a strange introduction to Rory’s music. I grew up in the ‘40s and ‘50s initially listening to big band music and singers such as Dean Martin. Along came rock ‘n’ roll when I got completely hooked by Eddie Cochran and the fact that he wrote songs, played guitar, sang, and even got involved in the recordings – I was heavily influenced by Eddie’s talent and, from that moment, I began to seek out similarly talented musicians. Naturally, I drifted into the Beatles and the Stones, but I was eager to learn more about the origins of music and I became interested in American artists like Son House, Blind Blake, Scrapper Blackwell, Jimmy Rogers etc etc, and Blues became my passion.

One day, I guess very late 60s, whilst browsing in one of Manchester’s huge record stores, I came upon a vinyl LP which freaked me out and kinda hypnotised me. The cover was black and red and, at first, it just appeared to me to be a random pattern until very very slowly I began to see a face appear. I can’t explain what effect that cover had on me – I had no idea what kind of music the vinyl held was nor what band it was – and I didn’t care – all I knew is I had to have this cover, this album. I didn’t even bother to read the sleeve notes to find out more. I have no idea how long I must have remained standing there gazing at that cover in a world of my own, but it was mentioned in amusement by the staff when I eventually took the LP to the pay desk. Even today, each time I pick up that LP, I am still mesmerised by the cover like some powerful drug.

I bought the album, took it home and played it. I have never been easily impressed but the effect on my brain was surreal – nothing could have prepared me for what I heard. This music, so raw, so authentic, so true, played with a passion I had never before heard, guitar solos that remained faithful to the song, beautifully melodic, wonderfully crafted – music that I could reach out and touch, music that entered my bloodstream, music that I could feel in my bones. Lyrics that were different to the norm of the day. I still hadn’t read the sleeve notes, so I was still unaware of the band but that didn’t matter – I knew I had found something that I could cling to for the rest of my life. This was Blues, but in a form that I had never heard. There were other influences within the tunes unfamiliar to my ears, and each song was so different, so individual. I was hooked. At the time, I didn’t realise that there were Celtic and Jazz influences in Rory’s Blues music, but that became apparent as I heard more and more from this talented young man.

Eventually, I discovered that the band was called Taste and the guitarist/singer/songwriter was a young man by the name of Rory Gallagher. I just had to find out more about this band and, in particular, Rory Gallagher. I also had to keep an eye out for any tours. Back in those times, this wasn’t easy – no mobile phones, no internet, no YouTube, no social media – we music lovers had to buy mags like Melody Maker or NME and scour the pages for any info. I also used to write to the mags in an attempt to find out more, but my letters were never answered.

If a Rory concert was advertised, I used to drive immediately to the particular venue and queue to buy tickets so that my wife and I could get the best seats. It seems so prehistoric now, but at the time it was exciting to race around the country buying tickets, and I have happy memories of searching for these venues (no satnav) and chatting to other fans in the queues, rain or shine, all of us bound together in a unique friendship, each one of us eagerly looking forward to the forthcoming Rory gig.

When was the first time you saw Rory in concert? What memories do you have of that occasion?

Blimey, my brain hurts. It was over 50 years ago and, after seeing him more than 200 times, I can’t honestly recall precisely when I first saw him. However, it would have been at the Free Trade Hall in my hometown of Manchester. I had only seen pub/club bands previously and I had never been to such a major venue. Not knowing what to expect, my wife and I dressed formally, as one did in those days for a big occasion. I know it sounds crazy now but must have been around 1970, a major venue, the big city. Surely, I would have to wear a suit and tie.

We entered the building to the sights of university students and the like wearing jeans, and man, did we feel silly. I was a big lad, a Rugby Prop Forward at the time and, being formally dressed, it was apparent that everyone took me a ‘bouncer’ and bypassed me courteously, which I found hilarious.

We made our way to our seats and the first thing that struck us was the heavy scent of illegal substances hanging densely in the air, which again took us by surprise.

I have no memory of the support band whatsoever as I was so eagerly anticipating my first live glimpse of Rory, and it was obvious that the rest of the audience felt the same as frequent cries of “Rory Rory Rory” filled the hall, even whilst the support band was playing.

When the support band left the stage, it was mayhem. The place was filled with “RORY RORY RORY RORY” on and on until eventually ‘the’ band entered the stage. Rory then ran on, long long hair flowing behind him, check shirt, blue jeans and the crowd exploded. I was mesmerised – here he was, my hero, the guy on that Taste album. First thoughts? I turned to my wife and said “Wow! He is the best-looking guy I have ever seen” I couldn’t get over how gorgeous he was! I remember my wife’s dismay when I brought home the first Taste album. “What the hell have you bought now!” Well, upon seeing Rory, she immediately changed her mind and fell in love.

Rory started to play and everybody jumped up and bounced around to the beat – except me. I remained still, silent, my rationally thinking brain unable to make sense of the mysteries that emerged from Rory’s fingers on those strings. It completely bypassed my brain and entered my soul where it remains trapped until this very day.

Song after song, beautiful lyrics, soulful guitar – solos that I could remember, notes that I could whistle after the gig, each solo clinging faithfully to the particular song rather than just a flurry of meaningless notes – no pose, no ego, here was a guy to whom we could all relate, here was a friend although none of us knew him, here was a guy who clearly loved to play, and could entertain without an array of flashing lights and screens. Running from one side of the stage to the other, jumping 6 feet into the air, the guitar became part of him, fed with blood from Rory’s heart, a living breathing part of his body. I could not have been prepared for what I witnessed, and I could never ever imagine what effect that gig would have on my life. My thirst for Rory became insatiable as I travelled the UK buying tickets for any Rory gig that I saw advertised in the music mags.

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