Thin Lizzy

Dublin

Thin Lizzy formed in Dublin in 1969. Phil Lynott, born Philip Parris Lynott on August 20, 1949 in West Bromwich, England, sang and played bass; the drummer Brian Downey had become the drummer of the Black Eagles, where Lynott was vocalist, in 1965. After Lynott was fired from Skid Row in June 1969 he formed Orphanage with Downey, and in December 1969 the guitarist Eric Bell and the organist Eric Wrixon agreed to start a band with them. The name Thin Lizzy was announced on February 18, 1970, with a first gig at Cloghran. Their first single, "The Farmer" (EMI, July 1970), sold about 283 copies.

Decca signed the band, and the debut was recorded in London in January 1971. "Whiskey in the Jar" reached number six in the United Kingdom in late 1972 and 1973, and was their first number one in Ireland. Bell quit after a New Year's Eve gig at Queen's University in Belfast in 1973.

Twin guitars

After Gary Moore's brief stay in 1974, Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson joined that mid-year, forming the twin-guitar line-up. Fighting came out on September 12, 1975, and Jailbreak on March 26, 1976 was the breakthrough, reaching number 10 in the United Kingdom and 18 on the Billboard 200, and gold in Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. Lynott caught hepatitis after the US tour and the remaining dates were cancelled. Live and Dangerous (1978) reached number two in the United Kingdom. Moore left on July 4, 1979, Snowy White and then John Sykes filled in, and Black Rose (1979), Chinatown (1980), Renegade (1981) and Thunder and Lightning (1983) followed.

The last UK concert was at Reading on August 28, 1983 and the final concert was at Monsters of Rock in Nuremberg on September 4, 1983. Lynott died on January 4, 1986, aged 36. The band reunited for Self Aid on May 17, 1986, recorded a tribute single, "Dedication", in October 1990, and was revived by Sykes in 1996. Gorham announced a line-up with Ricky Warwick in May 2010, and its players became Black Star Riders in 2012.

Legacy

A bronze statue of Lynott by Paul Daly was unveiled in 2005 in Harry Street off Grafton Street in Dublin, and a bust in West Bromwich on August 20, 2021. The band was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020, according to uDiscover. Wikipedia cites influence statements from Jerry Cantrell, Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher of Mastodon, Chuck Billy of Testament, Cliff Burton and Robert Smith. Documentaries include The Rocker: A Portrait of Phil Lynott (1996) and Phil Lynott: Songs for While I'm Away (2020), and books include Graeme Thomson's Cowboy Song (2016). A 2024 box set marks 1976, with remixes of Jailbreak and Johnny the Fox.