Rory Gallagher is regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He was a dazzling showman, an accomplished songwriter and a champion of blues music.

He began his career in an Irish showband at age fifteen, before forming Taste, one of the great Irish bands. He went on to even greater success as a solo artist in the 1970s. After his success peaked, Gallagher's later life was troubled, ending in disillusion and early death. He remains a legend, with musicians such as the Edge, Johnny Marr and Joe Bonamassa among the legions of fans who still revere him.

Drawing on extensive interviews, Julian Vignoles casts new light on the familial, musical and other influences that inspired Gallagher, and on the complex personality that drove his career. Crucially, Vignoles shows how many of Gallagher's songs speak eloquently – and poignantly – about the person who penned them. Meticulously researched, this portrait is the insightful biography that Rory Gallagher deserves.



Julian Vignoles is from Co. Wicklow and lives in Ranelagh. He was educated at University College Dublin. He worked for Hot Press in the late 1970s before joining RTÉ, where for over thirty years he produced factual and entertainment programmes on both radio and television, including two music series, 'Christy Moore Uncovered' and 'The Paul Brady Songbook'. This is his third book.