Gary Moore is the subject of a new book, authorized by and written with the full cooperation of his estate. The title, Gary Moore: The Official Biography, from author Harry Shapiro, arrives Sept. 27, 2022, via Jawbone Press.
From the June announcement: Moore delighted generations with his passionate guitar playing, from the driving rock of Thin Lizzy in the 1970s to his explorations in subsequent decades of jazz fusion, heavy metal, hard rock, blues rock, and more. Throughout that time, he could be seen on the world’s biggest stages. Yet the real Gary Moore was always hidden in plain sight, giving little away. Now, through extensive and revealing interviews with family members, friends and fellow musicians—including Ian Paice, Sharon Osbourne, Greg Lake, Glenn Hughes and members of Thin Lizzy—acclaimed rock biographer Harry Shapiro is able to take readers right to the heart of Moore’s life and career.
Despite his death from a heart attack in 2011 at age 58, Moore still has legions of devoted fans. Beginning with Gary as a teenage guitar prodigy in war-torn Ireland and continuing through the many highs and lows of more than forty years in rock, Shapiro paints an intimate portrait of a musician widely hailed as one of the greatest Irish bluesmen of all time.
Jack Bruce described Moore as “the most powerful, genuine authentic blues-rock guitarist of his day.”
Moore is featured on a 1978 live album and concert film from Thin Lizzy, that was released in 2022.
Author Shapiro is a music writer and journalist. His biography Jimi Hendrix: Electric Gypsy was nominated for the Ralph J Gleason Music Book Award. His other books include Waiting For the Man: The Story Of Drugs And Popular Music, and Jack Bruce: Composing Himself, as well as biographies of Eric Clapton, Alexis Korner and Graham Bond.
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Jump into a conversationGary is probably the most underrated guitarist in history. He was brilliant! Get a DVD of his, and be prepared to be blown away.
Gary Moore is definitely on my list of underappreciated guitarists – enthusiastically admired by their fans and critics, but it unknown by many casual music fans.
Been a fan of Moore since his days with Thin Lizzy.
Personal solo favorites are “Still Got The Blues” (1990) and “Power of the Blues” (2004)
As a champion of the underdogs, I would add to that list (in no particular order);
Rory Gallagher, Roy Buchanan, Rod Price, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee, Al DiMeola, Larry Coryell, John McLaughlin, Alex Lifeson, Brian Setzer, and many, many more.
What about Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac? Who I recall Gary rated and coaxed onto Parky’s chat show and played together, but Peter then was a shadow of himself after years drug dependency.