RORY GALLAGHER NEVER ACHIEVED the same success as most of the other great British blues guitarists. He has other things on his agenda, like his annual Christmas tour of rural Ireland, three hours a night, year after year. "There's a saying in Ireland: ' first there was Jesus, and then there was Rory,' 'said Phil Mac Donald, his longtime road manager. " He's a national hero because he's out there playing for the farmers who never hear live rock music. " Rory learned his trade as a child in a show band, and rose to prominence as the teen leader of Taste, a band that never quite lived up to its hype. After disbanding, Rory stayed with his bassist Gerry McAvoy, and set out on a mission to take the blues to every backwater. He never strayed from the form, but could find the blues in Jerry Lee Lewis, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Paycheck, The Ventures, and Elvis Costello. He basically played the same battered '61 guitar from 1963 on, and, except for a 'very light' flanger and occasional overdrive unit for 'the nastier solos', never used effects, yet his guitar could sound like a siren, a sitar, you name it. " Many lead guitarists just get off on playing a lot of notes over the other players, " he once said. "I love to play them as well, but the solo should primarily bleed out of the rhythm parts. " Vivian Campbell, now with Def Leppard, calls Rory his all-time fave; Slash joined Rory on stage for his final LA show at the Roxy four years ago; Rory didn't look well, but still wiped the floor with the kid.
Guitar:
Fender Stratocaster
Highlight:
Shadow Play 3:38
from
the live album Stage Struck, Chrysalis, 1980
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rory's ranking
on this list? #87, for what THAT is worth!!
The article didn't
list the criteria they used.
The
list of their Top 100 is at the bottom of this page for your amusement.
roryfan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article comes from the
June 1996 issue of MOJO magazine
reformatted by roryfan
The photo comes from the magazine
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The
MOJO 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
100
Ritchie Blackmore
99
Marv Tarplin
98
John Fahey
97
John Squire
96
Jonny Greenwood
95
Mick Green
94
John Cipollina
93
Phil Manzanera
92
Bonnie Raitt
91
Marc Ribot
90
Tony Iommi
89
John McGeogh
88
Ernie Isley
87
RORY GALLAGHER
86
James Williamson
85
Carl Perkins
84
John McLaughlin
83
Charley Patton
82
Bernard Butler
81
Mark Knopfler
80
Angus Young
79
Zoot Horn Rollo
78
Mike Bloomfield
77
Joni Mitchell
76
Peter Tosh
75
Billy Gibbons
74
Wes Montgomery
73
Merle Travis
72
Carlos Santana
71
Albert King
70
Eddie Hazel
69
Leo Kottke
68
King Sunny Aide
67
Lou Reed
66
Cliff Gallup
65
Dick Dale
64
Ike Turner
63
Eddie Taylor
62
Les Paul
61
Wayne Kramer
60
Kurt Cobain
59
Steve Jones
58
Clarence White
57
Nile Rodgers
56
Leo Nocentelli
55
Bob Mould
54
Syd Barrett
53
Mick Ronson
52
David Gilmour
51
Robert Fripp
50
Ron Asheton
49
Lowell George
48
Bo Diddley
47
Eldon Shamblin
46
Scotty Moore
45
Robert Lockwood
44
Hank Marvin
43
Chet Atkins
42
Bert Jansch
41
Robbie Robertson
40
Link Wray
39
Duane Allman
38
Roger Mc Guinn
37
Eddie Cochran
36
Sisiter Rosetta Tharpe
35
Jerry Garcia
34
Tom Verlaine
33
Prince
32
The Edge
31
Freddie King
30
Buddy Guy
29
J Mascis
28
Frank Zappa
27
Elmore James
26
James Burton
25
Curtis Mayfield
24
Hubert Sumlin
23
Johnny Marr
22
Ry Cooder
21
Eddie Van Halen
20
Johnny Ramone
19
Guitar Slim
18
Charlie Christian
17
Robert Johnson
16
George Harrison
15
Pete Townshend
14
Stevie Ray Vaughn
13
Jeff Beck
12
Jimmy Nolen
11
BB King
10
Richard Thompson
9 Neil
Young
8 T-Bone
Walker
7 Jimmy
Page
6 Eric
Clapton
5 Chuck
Berry
4 Keith
Richards
3 Peter
Green
2 Steve
Cropper
1 Jimi
Hendrix
(Article 103)