It was on this day, January 4 1986, the news broke that Phil had sadly passed away in London.

With Thin Lizzy's classic album Bad Reputation charting on both sides of the Atlantic whenever our magazine first launched way back in 1977, Phil Lynott came to represent the extraordinary ambition and vibrancy of the Irish music scene. It is because of this reason that Philo will always hold a special spot in Hot Press' heart.

To mark the anniversary of his passing, we've dived into the treasure trove of great interviews with the man himself and also discovered what some of his contemporaries had to say about his music.

Take a look back at a classic interview with Phil from 1984, where the then-reclusive former Thin Lizzy singer reflected on the break-up of the band and a life of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll. http://www.hotpress.com/archive/431546.html

Back in 2011, we looked back on Phil's career and asked other musicians to reflect on what made him special. Bono recalls "murdering" several Thin Lizzy songs in his early U2 days, as him and the lads tried to match the style and musical ability of their fellow Dubliners. http://www.hotpress.com/archive/7558055.html

Guns N'Roses guitarist Slash also admitted to us that he owed a debt to Phil, saying that he "identified with the Thin Lizzy sound stylistically" in this interview back in 2011. http://www.hotpress.com/archive/7537113.html

Vibe For Philo #31 - 'Saga of the Ageing Orphan' - is currently underway at the Workman's Club, with events taking place between 3-5 January to celebrate the legendary singer. See here for more details: http://www.vibeforphilo.com/

Read more Phil Lynott tributes here:

http://www.hotpress.com/archive/8149831.html

http://www.hotpress.com/archive/7556779.html