RIP Gavin Ralston: Beloved Irish producer and guitarist passes away

Tributes are pouring in for Dublin producer and guitarist Gavin Ralston, who has passed away today, September 23.

Spending the last 25 years in the Irish music scene, Gavin built up a reputation as both a consummate professional and talented musician. He played guitar with The Waterboys, Sharon Shannon and Picture House, and produced recordings for Ronnie Drew, Bagatelle and The Receipts, as well as The Coronas' first ever studio session. Mike Scott is among those who paid tribute to Gavin today:

Our pal is gone. Gavin Ralston R.I.P. X pic.twitter.com/Wc0DFUQMtg

— Mike Scott (@MickPuck) September 23, 2019

Back in February, a host of A-list Irish bands, including The Waterboys, Sharon Shannon, PictureHouse, Mundy, Mary Black, Cormac Begley and Paul Harrington played 'The Gig For Gav' in Vicar Street, to raise funds for Gavin's treatment for bowel cancer.

In March, Gavin spoke to Hot Press about producing The Receipt's long-awaited debut album.

“I grew up right beside the band,” he said. “I would’ve known The Receipts growing up. When I heard they were doing a record, I was interested. And the amazing thing is that we’re all in our late ’40s, but the passion they have is the same as they had in the ’90s.”

Gavin had to stop production at one point to undertake treatment.

“I was in hospital for four months,” he said. “I remember texting the guys saying, ‘I presume you want to do this with someone else now?’ But they said, ‘No chance of that, we’ll wait until you’re ready.’”

“It was always said, ‘We started it with Gav, we’re finishing it with Gav'," added The Receipt's guitarist Ronan Clinton. "We knew about Gav’s illness, we knew it would be a start-stop process, but that’s how we wanted to do it.”

All of us at Hot Press wish to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Gavin Ralston.

He was a lovely man. pic.twitter.com/0vwaR3zyxQ

— Hot Press (@hotpress) September 23, 2019