Twenty-five years ago, on June 14, 1995, Rory Gallagher died. The passionate blues guitarist, singer and songwriter wrote rock history - first with the trio Taste, and from 1971 under his own name. The Irish man's career collapsed in the eighties because he was unable to control his health problems, caused mainly by excessive tablet consumption. When the news of Rory Gallagher's death spread, a whole nation mourned: Ireland's musicians are heroes at home and are revered far beyond their fan base, even if they do not play typical Irish music.
Rory grew up under the influence of the Irish show bands, which played popular dance music and pop covers. But he quickly got into rock'n'roll and blues, dispensing with folk elements such as Thin Lizzy: "I don't like playing jigs'n'reels, even in rock'n'roll garb." He felt himself to be a representative of his home country, but emphasized: "I am not an ambassador of Irish music. I'm an Irish musician whose feelings represent his country." After his death he became a cult figure. In Cork, Southern Ireland, the former St. Paul's Square has borne Rory's name since October 1997, and in 2004 the Rory Gallagher Music Library was opened. There are other memorials in Ballyshannon in County Donegal, where Gallagher was born on 2 March 1948, and in Dublin and Belfast.
Encouraged by his parents, he bought his legendary Fender Stratocaster in 1961, a bronze version of which is on display at Rory Gallagher Corner in Dublin's Temple Bar district. His rise to rock legend began in 1966 with the formation of the trio Taste: the group performed regularly at London's Marquee Club, playing with Cream and Blind Faith. It's these engagements that Gallagher's compatriots still admire today, but above all the concert at the Isle Of Wight Festival in 1970, with Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Who, among others. U2 guitarist The Edge, who unveiled the Stratocaster statue in Dublin in 2006: "He was a role model for many who wanted to play guitar. He was on stage with all the big names, and that made us incredibly proud."
