Thin Lizzy

A hard-rock guitar band that went through numerous lineups, Thin Lizzy hinged largely on the songwriting and charisma of its singer/bassist Phil Lynott, the first black Irishman (though born in London) to attain worldwide rock stardom. Lynott and drummer Brian Downey first met as schoolmates in Dublin during the mid '60s; after stints with various bands they formed Thin Lizzy as a trio with guitarist Eric Bell, who'd briefly played with Van Morrison in Them. The band signed to Decca and released their self-titled debut in 1971; though the sound was mellower than later albums, it established Lynott's street-life storytelling as a lyrical trademark. Their commercial breakthrough came via a song that the band didn't want released as a single, their take on the Irish traditional song "Whiskey in the Jar." Though they considered it out-of-character, it went Top Ten in the UK and Ireland. The band's instrumental trademark, its twin harmony guitars, was introduced on the fourth album, 1974's Nightlife-- which marked Bell's departure and the arrival of guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson, completing the band's classic lineup. Their American breakthrough had to wait another two years until the release of Jailbreak and its single, "The Boys Are Back in Town"-- another street-life tale with Springsteen overtones and a memorable guitar hook. Thin Lizzy toured with Aerosmith in the U.S. behind the album; however the tour was cut short when Lynott came down with hepatitis. This largely derailed the band's success in America though they remained beloved in the UK, where they'd score further hits with "Dancing in the Moonlight" (an uncharacteristically light rocker complete with sax solo), "Don't Believe a Word" and "Killer on the Loose." The latter stirred up controversy when Lynott, taking the role of Jack the Ripper, sang about his tendency to murder women. The '80s were less kind to Thin Lizzy, with rotations in the guitar slots (future blues-rock star Gary Moore, future Whitesnake member John Sykes and Pink Floyd sideman Snowy White all came in at different times) and various members, especially Lynott, struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The final album, 1983's Thunder & Lightning gave the band a small resurgence, but the accompanying tour was billed as their last. Thin Lizzy played its  final concert in Nuremberg on September 4, 1983.  Lynott's later solo projects saw limited success, and by 1985 he was making overtures to reform the band. Unfortunately it never came to be, as complications from drugs and alcohol caused his death on January 4, 1986.