Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) was a trailblazing Irish blues-rock singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. For over three decades, he pioneered his unique style of music across the globe, building his reputation through electrifying live performances. Known for his dedicated and hard-working attitude, Gallagher actively shunned the trappings of the decadent rockstar and always maintained an authentic, no sell-out image.

But to date, accounts of Gallagher’s life have been overwhelmingly focused on his success in the 1970s, with the latter half of his career unfairly written off as a time of ill health and musical decline.

Rory Gallagher: The Later Years challenges this ‘rise and fall’ narrative, documenting and reappraising Gallagher’s musical trajectory over the final decade of his life through fresh interviews with those who knew him and previously unexplored archival materials. This collection of essays corrects the assumption that Gallagher’s decline in health translated into a decline in musicianship and reveals the story of a maturing bluesman broadening his horizons, rather than bidding farewell to them.

Ultimately, it provides a different story to that which has been told countless times before. A story that does not follow the easy and familiar pathway of a man victim to the 1980s zeitgeist, victim to ‘addiction’ and victim to himself and, instead, portrays him as the hero of all he was still able to accomplish. It seeks to provide the long-awaited – and accurate – answer for those who perhaps once asked the question: “what became of Rory Gallagher?”

Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Celtic King Without His Crown?

Part 1: In the Studio

1.1 Flying in the Face of Fashion: Jinx (1982)

1.2 Blood on the Tracks: Defender (1987)

1.3 No End in Sight: Fresh Evidence (1990)

1.4 “A Great Holiday for Me”: Guest Appearances and Collaborations, 1984-1991

1.5 “A Great Holiday for Me”: Guest Appearances and Collaborations, 1992-1995

Part 2: On the Stage 1985-1991

2.1 Teenage Renegade Fever: The 1985 Tour of Yugoslavia and Hungary

2.2 “See Rory and Die?”: Storming the Montreux Jazz Festival 1985

2.3 Hot Nights and Wailing Decibels: The 1986 Tour of Spain

2.4 Let’s Go to Work! Rocklife 1990

2.5 The Vasco Da Gama of Rock: The Final World Tour (1991)

Interlude: Introducing the New Rory Gallagher Band

Part 3: On the Stage 1992-1995

3.1 Boxer Spirit: On the Road with the G-Man, 1992-1993 

3.2 A Year of Musical Renewal: The 1994 Festival Circuit

3.3 Just Remember the Good Things: The Final Tour (1995)

Part 4: Ireland

4.1 He Came, He Saw and He Certainly Conquered: Cork Opera House 1987

4.2 Just A Man with a Mission (and a Guitar): The 1988 Irish Tour

4.3 In Sunshine or In Shadow: Irish Festivals and Cultural Celebrations, 1983-1989

4.4 Like a Phoenix from the Ashes: The Temple Bar Blues Festival 1992

4.5 Going to My Hometown: The Rebel Returns to Cork, 1992-1993

4.6 Carrying the Celtic Blues Torch: Television Interviews and Recordings, 1992-1994

Conclusion: The Rise and Rise of Rory Gallagher 

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