Phil Lynott

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. Born Philip Parris Lynott in 1949 (his father was Brazilian and his mother Irish), he was raised mostly by his grandmother, Sarah. After discovering rock & roll as a teen, Lynott began singing in his first band, the Black Eagles. It was around this time he met future Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey. As the '60s wore on, landmark artists Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix began helping shape the sound of his next band. Thin Lizzy was officially formed in the early '70s, 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 and 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. And 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 1970s and '80s, and released a pair of solo albums (1980's Solo in Soho and 1982's Philip Lynott Album. But like many rockers of the '70s, Lynott and most of his bandmates succumbed to the party-hearty lifestyle of rock & roll, indulging in hard drugs and alcohol. Not only did it affect the quality of the band's work by the early '80s, contributing to the band's break-up by 1983, it turned out to be detrimental to Phil Lynott's health. After Lizzy's breakup, 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. Still, 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. Lynott's songwriting and spirit continued to live on -- Thin Lizzy's name continues to be named by as a major influence, namely Metallica, Def Leppard, Henry Rollins, and Smashing Pumpkins. Lynott's stature in the rock world has reached legendary proportions following his death. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi