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Along with
Bob Dylan,
Jim Morrison,
Patti Smith and
Bruce Springsteen,
Thin Lizzy's
Phil Lynott was one of the first to merge poetry with rock music. Philip Parris Lynott was born in 1949 (his father was Brazilian and his mother Irish), and was raised mostly by his grandmother, Sarah. After discovering rock n' roll as a teen,
Phil began singing in his first band, the Black Eagles. It was around this time that
Lynott met future
Thin Lizzy drummer,
Brian Downey. As the 60's wore on, such landmark artists as
Van Morrison and
Jimi Hendrix, which would help shape the sound of this next band, influenced
Phil.
Thin Lizzy was officially formed in the early-70's, and through a succession of guitarists, eventually became one of the world's top hard rock bands by the middle of the decade, especially on the strength of the hit anthem "The Boys are Back in Town" and a string of classic albums (
Jailbreak,
Bad Reputation, Live & Dangerous, Black Rose). In addition to the band's instantly recognizable (and infinitely copied) twin guitar attack - supplied by
Scott Gorham and
Brian Robertson - it was
Lynott's storytelling lyric-writing that most focused on. While
Lizzy was often lumped into the 'heavy metal' category, the band covered a lot of ground musically, while
Lynott embraced the fledgling punk scene - forming a side project with ex-members of
the Sex Pistols (the Greedy Bastards), becoming good friends with
Boomtown Rats singer
Bob Geldof, and guesting on
Johnny Thunders' 1978 album,
So Alone.
Lynott also published several books of his poetry during the 70's and 80's, and released a pair of solo albums 1980's
Solo in Soho and 82's the Phil Lynott Album. But like many rockers of the 70's,
Lynott and most of his bandmates succumbed to the party hearty lifestyle of rock n' roll - indulging in hard drugs and alcohol. Not only did it affect the quality of the band's work by the early-80's (contributing to the band's break-up by 1983), it turned out to be detrimental to
Phil Lynott's health. After
Lizzy's break-up,
Lynott attempted to form another band, Grand Slam, which ultimately failed. But a successful collaboration with old friend
Gary Moore, "Out in the Fields," showed
Phil still had what it took, but it wasn't enough for
Phil to put his life back on track.
Lynott died on January 4, 1986 - his body giving out from all the years of abuse and hard living. But
Lynott's songwriting and spirit live on -
Thin Lizzy's name continues to be named by band's as a major influence, namely
Metallica,
Def Leppard,
Henry Rollins, and
Smashing Pumpkins, as
Phil's stature in the rock world reached legendary proportions immediately after his death. ~ Greg Prato