Thin Lizzy is among rock music's elite and a synonym for classic rock. As one of the first bands to
break out of Ireland, Thin Lizzy's music was hard, yet melodic; their lyrics romanticized stories of
love, love-lost, and street life as well as Irish folklore. Their signature double guitar lead sound has
Influenced countless bands beyond the rock genre. With thirteen albums to their credit, they have
had over fourteen top 20 hits in Europe while classic tracks such as "The Boys Are Back In Town,"
"Jailbreak," and "Cowboy Song" having become staples of American rock radio. Formed in 1969 by
Dublin school chums Phil Lynott and Brian Downey, Thin Lizzy scored their first top ten hit in 1972
with "Whiskey In The Jar" -- their reworking of the traditional Irish drinking song. Several years later
when Lizzy lost original guitarist Eric Bell, Lynott brought in two players, American Scott Gorham
and Scotsman Brian Robertson. While the latter was replaced by a string of players over Lizzy's career
(including Gary Moore, Snowy White, Midge Ure, and eventually John Sykes) the move to have two
main guitarists playing harmony leads proved to be their signature sound. According to Gorham, not
only did new guitarists have to be good musicians, they also had to bring in a bit of their own unique
style.
Lizzy's biggest break hit in 1976 with the classic track "The Boys Are Back In Town" from the album
Jailbreak. Lizzy worked constantly releasing strong albums with more hit singles, however, hard
living, drug abuse, and continuous touring eventually wore down the band. It was announced in
1982 that the tour for the album Thunder and Lightning would be their farewell and as luck would
have it, Lizzy was once again on top.
The yearlong tour had them playing the major halls throughout Europe and Japan, along with the
headlining spot at the Reading Festival. Despite sounding better than ever, Lizzy played their last
show together on September 4th, 1983 at Germany's Monsters Of Rock Festival. In the years to
follow, Lynott collaborated with other musicians and fronted a new band called Grand Slam, but the band
never made it's mark, nor was Lynott able to live beyond his Lizzy legacy. Phil Lynott died on the 4th
of January 1986, from heart failure and pneumonia from years of drug abuse. He was only 35.
Fortunately, the post Lizzy years proved fruitful for its other members. Sykes went on to join
Whitesnake and record the band's best selling albums, Slide It In and Whitesnake '87. He then
formed Blue Murder and followed through with a successful string of solo releases. Scott Gorham returned to London
and started doing session work with friends before forming his own band, 21 Guns.
Yet while each member was busy doing their own projects, they reformed in 1994 to do a series of
shows to honor Lynott's name. The Response was so overwhelming, it was obvious that people still
wanted to hear Phil Lynott's music, the music that Thin Lizzy created.
In 2000, the band released One Night Only, marking the first live album under the Thin Lizzy moniker
in close to seventeen years. Recorded on their European tour, the members of Thin Lizzy pay
homage to their celebrated past with a new fire and prove their songs have stood the test of time. It also
marks the beginning of a new chapter for the band with a world wide tour to follow. As for the future,
Gorham and Sykes together are enforcing that Thin Lizzy's magic will always remain.
In 2003 - 2004 The Boys Are Back In Town again with their "GLOBAL CHAOS" World Tour as well as doing North
American dates with the legendary Deep Purple on their "BANANAS"-tour.
With Scott Gorham, John Sykes and the phenomenal rhythm section of Michael Lee on drums and Randy Gregg on
bass, Thin Lizzy will hit as many countries as possible to once again honor Phil Lynott's legacy. Every person
should have the privilege of hearing Phil Lynott's music and seeing Thin Lizzy live!
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