The guitarist Gary Moore passed away on this day in 2011 of a heart attack. He was 58 years old.
Ludwig Van Beethoven once said that “to play without passion is inexcusable.” Whether or not Moore knew this quote, his music embodied it. In blues, hard rock, or even fusion jazz, Moore brought a world of passion to his work. The albums he leaves behind and the collaborations he undertook with people like Greg Lake, Ian Paice, Don Airey, and Albert Collins in bands like Colosseum II, Thin Lizzy, and Bruce Baker Moore will delight the world for ages to come.
Many across genres have doubtless been influenced by Moore to pick up a guitar and try for themselves. Others may have been encouraged to do better themselves. His legacy lives on as well in the music he loved and shared with his children, several of whom are musicians themselves. His daughter, Lily, who herself has recently launched a music career, even specifically spoke of the music he’d play for her in the car as he drove her to school as an inspiration.
Thank you for the music, Mr. Moore!