It's said that once, when Jimi Hendrix was asked by a journalist what it was like to be the best guitar player in the world, he shrugged, “I don't know, ask Rory Gallagher.”
Whether or not that oft-told tale is factual, Rory Gallagher remains perhaps the definitive guitarist's guitarist – a Strat-slinging master of the blues who made every note count, and whose stinging tone was the blueprint for – to name the most famous example – that of Queen's Brian May.
Though he never found great commercial success before his untimely death in 1995 at the age of 47, Gallagher remains a touchstone for blues and rock guitarists the world over, and has informed the playing of everyone from blues king Joe Bonamassa to stadium-rock conquerer the Edge, and metal gods like Glenn Tipton and Janick Gers.
Latest about Rory Gallagher
Brad Whitford and Joe Perry on the time Aerosmith were upstaged by their support act
The guitarist – who came before an Aerosmith festival headline slot – returned to the stage for three separate encores and proved to be a tough act to follow
Marcus King takes Rory Gallagher’s legendary Isle of Wight Fender Telecaster for a spin on stage
King previously played Jeff Beck’s iconic YardBurst Les Paul thanks to French vintage guitar dealer, Matt’s Guitar Shop
Joe Bonamassa wraps his Rory Gallagher tribute shows with a stunning cover of As The Crow Flies
The gorgeous ancient relic was made famous by Gallagher’s take on the Tony Joe White song on his 1974 live album, Irish Tour
Joe Bonamassa pays a visit to the store that sold Rory Gallagher his iconic sunburst Strat – and buys his own to mark the occasion
Rory Gallagher bought his now-legendary Strat – which recently sold for just over $1 million – from Crowley’s Music Store for £100 in 1963
Rory Gallagher’s ‘Frankenstein’ Strat – gifted to its current owner by U2 – sells at auction for over $50K
The guitar was his guinea pig for pickup tests and stood as his number two when his main Strat needed a reset
![Joe Bonamassa [left] hits a high note on his 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard. He wears a dark suit and shades. On the right, Rory Gallagher is pictured at the 1975 Reading Festival, and solos on his number one Strat.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YKiQ5HKvEMDmjcdRofuwqL-840-80.jpg.webp)
Joe Bonamassa explains the slide guitar genius of his hero and icon, Rory Gallagher
In this tab and video lesson, Joe dons a metal guitar slide and unpacks the late Irish blues legend's glissando magic
![Joe Bonamassa [left] wears a deep blue suit and polka-dotted shirt and plays his green refin Strat; the late Irish blues legend Rory Gallagher [right] screams and inflicts some punishment on his heavily worn number one Stratocaster.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cw28h7UBcTVfTLs7p7eiLe-840-80.jpg.webp)
Joe Bonamassa pays tribute to the late, great Irish blues-rock icon Rory Gallagher
He might have only just learned how to pronounce Gallagher's name properly, but JoBo is a player who idolized the man, and will pay tribute to him in three shows this summer in Cork, Ireland
When Rory Gallagher was asked to fill Eric Clapton's shoes in rock's pioneering power trio
As Cream began to disintegrate barely two years into their existence, the enormously successful band's managers were desperate to keep them going
