Gone but never forgotten

RORY GALLAGHER
Rory Gallagher’s virtuosic work with Taste and later as a solo artist saw him become one of the most influential guitarists of all time. His distinctive style of bluesy rock was an inspiration to the likes of Johnny Marr, The Edge, Slash and Brian May, and Gallagher was even invited to jam with The Rolling Stones following the loss of their lead guitarist Mick Taylor. Rory’s status as one of Ireland’s all-time great musicians was further recognised last summer with the unveiling of a bronze sculpture of his Stratocaster in Temple Bar, in a ceremony presided over by The Edge and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.

PHIL LYNOTT
Thin Lizzy were a pioneering force in Irish rock, with their international success paving the way for both the Boomtown Rats and, eventually, U2 (who supported Lizzy at the first ever Slane concert in 1981). While classics like ‘Whiskey In The Jar’ and ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ have become staples of hard rock radio, Lynott was a songwriter of considerable versatility, as evidenced by the graceful likes of ‘Old Town’ and ‘Sarah’. Although the singer died at the tragically young age of 36, his legacy lives on at home and abroad – last summer saw both Metallica and Pearl Jam perform Thin Lizzy covers at their Dublin shows.

ELVIS PRESLEY
Hotpress was a bouncing newborn, a mere two months old, when the King of Rock’n’Roll expired aged 42 in his Graceland mansion while reading The Scientific Search For The Face Of Jesus. There have been world leaders, popes and princesses whose passing failed to stir anything remotely approaching the global outpouring of grief which accompanied the King’s passing. His '70s career had been marked by phenomenal weight gain, addiction to an array of prescription drugs, and decreasingly impressive musical output, but the sense of loss nonetheless seemed to engulf everyone from tot to pensioner. Three decades later, he remains one of the best-selling artists on the planet.

BOB MARLEY
Bullets couldn’t kill him, but cancer eventually did. Marley didn’t invent reggae, but he almost single-handedly propelled it to world prominence with a succession of records which colonised the charts and the radio throughout the '70s. Marley’s output still sounds fresh and vital in 2007: politically charged, irresistibly melodic, dream-like, and evocative of the mouth-watering scent of fine Jamaican ganja. There’s also a widely-overlooked existential weariness to many of his lyrics: "You think you’re in heaven but you’re living in hell." To this day, he’s revered equally by hardcore punks, teenage stoners and ageing hippies.

JOE STRUMMER
In contrast to the nihilism of the Sex Pistols, The Clash were punk rock’s political consciousness. During his time as the group’s charismatic frontman, Strummer sang about the urban decay of ’70s Britain, though always with a strong sense of defiance. As attested by numerous friends and peers in Julien Temple’s recent documentary Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten, the singer’s iconic status and musical influence are set to endure.

KURT COBAIN
Cobain gave voice to a generation of disaffected youth with anthems like ‘In Bloom’, ‘Lithium’ and, of course, ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. The abrasive punk rock of In Utero and acoustic minimalism of Unplugged In New York offered tantalising glimpses of how Nirvana might have developed musically, but, sadly, the singer’s demons got the better of him. Nonetheless, the endless stream of young bands influenced by Nirvana points to the seismic impact the group made on popular culture.

IAN CURTIS
Joy Division’s dark and brooding soundscapes were vivid dispatches from the most desolate corners of ’70s Manchester. Inspired to form following the Sex Pistols’ famous 1976 gig in the city, the quartet took the basic punk template and proceeded to put their own unique, visionary spin on it. Tragically, having only recently completed work on Joy Division’s second album, Curtis committed suicide on the eve of the group’s first American tour in May 1980. His story will be told in Anton Corbijn’s upcoming biopic, Control.

RICHEY EDWARDS
Throughout the Manic Street Preachers’ insurrectionary rise in the early ’90s, Richey Edwards’ glam punk attitude and intense, highly literate lyrics were central to the group’s appeal. However, he also struggled with depression, self-harm and alcoholism, and on February 1, 1995 (the day he and fellow band member James Dean Bradfield were set to travel to the US on a promotional tour), Edwards checked out of his London hotel room and drove home to his native Wales, then disappeared completely. His family had the option of declaring him legally dead in 2002, but decided not to, meaning that his status remains that of a missing person.

LUKE KELLY
In his role with The Dubliners, Luke Kelly made an indelible impression upon Irish folk music. His interpretations of ‘Scorn Not His Simplicity’ and Patrick Kavanagh’s poem ‘Raglan Road’ became landmark songs, while the socially aware nature of many of the tracks he recorded offer ample evidence that Kelly remained politically engaged throughout his life. Though he died of a brain tumour in 1984, the singer is still rightly regarded as a true Dublin icon.

SID VICIOUS
While Glen Matlock wrote the tunes that catapulted the Sex Pistols into the limelight, his replacement in the band, Sid Vicious, embodied their rebellious spirit. Unfortunately, he also succumbed to the darker side of rock 'n' roll, becoming involved in a destructive relationship with Nancy Spungen and getting hooked on heroin. After being arrested and charged with Spungen’s murder, Vicious died of an overdose at the party held to celebrate his release from Rikers Island Prison. He was just 21 years old.

ELLIOTT SMITH
Smith’s elegant brand of acoustica won him a devoted fanbase during his short career, and the singer was even nominated for an Oscar for ‘Miss Misery’, the song he contributed to Good Will Hunting. However, plagued by depression, alcoholism and drug addiction, Elliott endured several dark years following that high point, before finally seeming to embark on an extended period of recovery in 2003. Sadly, in October of that year, just as his life seemed on an upward curve, he was found dead from two stab wounds to the chest at his home in Los Angeles. His contribution to music has since been widely acknowledged, with many of his peers recording covers of his songs in tribute.