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Gary Moore, former guitarist for Thin Lizzy, passed away Sunday in Southern Spain, the BBC reported Sunday.
The cause of death has yet to be determined, but Adam Parsons, who manages Thin Lizzy, told BBC News that Moore had died in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The 58-year-old joined Thin Lizzy in the early 1970s after the band’s lead singer Phil Lynott brought him into the fold to replace outgoing Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell.
Born in Belfast, Moore grew up a fan of artists such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles. In his later years, he developed a taste for the blues, after having seen Jimi Hendrix play live. Moore was known among peers and fans as a skilled musician.
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The Irish native was equally known in his home country for his tumultuous yet steady friendship with Lynott.
During the summer of 1979, Moore left Thin Lizzy in the middle of a U.S. tour. In the mid-1980s, the duo of Lynott and Moore scored a Top 5 English and Irish hit with the single “Out in The Fields” after Thin Lizzy broke up (the band would later reform and has lived on in various lineups with different members).
Lynott died soon after the chart success of “Out In The Fields” in January of 1986.
More recently, Moore released a string of solo records over the past decade in the blues-rock vein.
Eric Bell, the Thin Lizzy guitarist Moore replaced, told the BBC today he was “in shock” regarding Moore’s death.
“I still can’t believe it,” he said.
“He was so robust.”
Moore was fond of Spain and played a guitar festival in Barcelona in 2009 alongside such names as Jackson Browne.
Sunday night the touring version of Thin Lizzy is expected to make a show in Vienna a full tribute to Moore.
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