Rory Gallagher, a rock guitarist, was born in Ballyshannon, Donegal, on the 2nd of March, 1948. He is frequently cited as the greatest rock guitarist you've never heard of, a testament to his unwillingness to compromise on the types of music he liked to play.
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At age 8, Gallagher's family moved to Cork, where he proved to be an indifferent student at North Monastery. At age 15, his interest in music swamped any academic ambition; he left school to follow his rock and roll passions.
Gallagher started out with Fontana, later The Impact, a showband playing the Irish circuit. Like many showbands of that era, performers were expected to act in the style of existing stars; Gallagher chose Chuck Berry, who he would record with later in life. In 1965, Gallagher formed a trio called Taste, and the band released three albums, including the 1970 On The Boards, which rose to number 18 in the UK Top Album charts.
Despite Taste's success, Gallagher left for a solo career in 1970 following what has been characterized as managerial disputes and inter-personnel difficulties. Gallagher performed under his own moniker for the rest of his career, building a reputation for extraordinary live performance. While he sold more than 30 million albums worldwide, his most successful recordings happened on the stage rather than in the studio.
1979: Montreux - Shadow Play
Sadly, Gallagher died in London at the age of 47 on the 14th of June 1995 as a result of complications from a liver transplant. He is buried in Saint Oliver's Cemetery, Carrigrohane, County Cork.
