Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band from Dublin. Formed in December 1969, the group was originally a four-piece made up of former members of two bands: guitarist Eric Bell and keyboardist Eric Wrixon from Them, and bassist and vocalist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey from Orphanage. [1] Wrixon performed on the band's debut single "The Farmer", but left before it was released in July 1970. [2] Bell left the band after a concert on New Year's Eve 1973, later citing "ill-health caused by the band's lifestyle" as the reason for his departure. [3] The guitarist was replaced by Gary Moore, although he would only remain with the band for a matter of months. [4] Andy Gee and John Du Cann took over for a tour in May, before Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham were enlisted later in the year as Bell's first full-time replacements. [5]
The lineup of Lynott, Gorham, Robertson and Downey released five studio albums and one live album, all but two of which reached the top ten of the UK Albums Chart, [6] before Robertson left in 1978 and was replaced by the returning Moore. [7] Downey also briefly took a break from Thin Lizzy around the same time, with Mark Nauseef replacing him for a tour in late 1978. [8] Moore left again in July 1979, [9] and was temporarily replaced by Midge Ure. [10] Dave Flett was brought in for a Japanese tour later in the year, as Ure moved over to keyboards, and in early 1980 Snowy White took Flett's place on a more permanent basis. [11] Darren Wharton replaced Ure in April, initially as a touring member. [12] White was replaced by John Sykes in September 1982, who featured on their last studio album Thunder and Lightning. [13] Thin Lizzy broke up in 1983, with their final performance taking place on 4 September on the German Monsters of Rock Tour; Lynott later died of heart failure and pneumonia on 4 January 1986. [14]
Thin Lizzy reformed in 1996, with Sykes taking over lead vocals and Marco Mendoza joining on bass, alongside returning members Gorham, Wharton and Downey. [15] Tommy Aldridge replaced Downey in 1998, and Wharton left in 2001 to focus on his own band Dare. [16] Mendoza and Aldridge left in 2003 to join Whitesnake, [17] with their places taken by Guy Pratt and Michael Lee, respectively. [18] Pratt was replaced later in the year by Randy Gregg. [19] [20] [21] Mendoza had returned to the band by early 2005, [22] as had Aldridge by early 2007. [23] Mendoza was replaced by Francesco DiCosmo later in 2007. [24] After more touring, Sykes departed Thin Lizzy in mid-2009, with DiCosmo and Aldridge leaving at the same time; speaking about the future of the band, Gorham claimed that "we will be back up to full speed soon". [25]
Gorham reformed Thin Lizzy in 2010 with former members Mendoza, Downey and Wharton, in addition to new guitarist Vivian Campbell and lead vocalist Ricky Warwick. [26] Campbell was replaced by Richard Fortus after returning to Def Leppard in mid-2011, [27] before Damon Johnson became his permanent replacement later in the year. [28] The band was put on hiatus in December 2012, when all members formed Black Star Riders, [29] before returning in 2016 with Mikkey Dee on drums. [30] Dee was replaced three months later by Judas Priest's Scott Travis, as Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton also replaced Mendoza. [31]
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Lynott | 1969–1983 |
| ||
Brian Downey | all Thin Lizzy releases except The Boys Are Back in Town (1997) and One Night Only (2000) | |||
Eric Bell | 1969–1973 |
| ||
Eric Wrixon | 1969–1970 |
|
"The Farmer" (1970) | |
Gary Moore |
|
|
| |
Scott Gorham | 1974–1983 | all Thin Lizzy releases from Nightlife (1974) onwards | ||
Brian Robertson | 1974–1978 |
| ||
Snowy White | 1980–1982 | |||
Darren Wharton | 1980–1983 |
|
| |
John Sykes | 1982–1983 |
|
|
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Andy Gee | 1974 |
|
none | |
John Du Cann | ||||
Mark Nauseef | 1978–1979 |
|
The Boys Are Back in Town (1997) | |
Midge Ure | 1979–1980 |
|
The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans – two tracks | |
Dave Flett | 1979 |
|
none |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scott Gorham | 1996–present |
|
all Thin Lizzy releases from Nightlife (1974) onwards | |
Darren Wharton |
|
|
| |
Ricky Warwick | 2010–present |
|
all Thin Lizzy releases from Live in London 2011: 22.01.2011 (2011) onwards | |
Damon Johnson | 2011–present |
|
all Thin Lizzy Live 2012 releases (2012–2013) | |
Tom Hamilton | 2016–present | bass | none as yet | |
Scott Travis |
|
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brian Downey |
|
|
all Thin Lizzy releases except The Boys Are Back in Town (1997) and One Night Only (2000) | |
John Sykes | 1996–2009 |
|
| |
Marco Mendoza |
|
|
| |
Tommy Aldridge |
|
|
One Night Only (2000) | |
Michael Lee | 2003–2007 | none | ||
Guy Pratt | 2003 |
| ||
Randy Gregg | 2003–2005 | |||
Francesco DiCosmo | 2007–2009 | |||
Vivian Campbell | 2010–2011 |
|
Live in London 2011: 22.01.2011 and 23.01.2011 (2011) | |
Richard Fortus | 2011 | High Voltage Recorded Live: July 23rd 2011 (2011) | ||
Mikkey Dee | 2016 |
|
none |
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Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band from Dublin. Formed in December 1969, the group was originally a four-piece made up of former members of two bands: guitarist Eric Bell and keyboardist Eric Wrixon from Them, and bassist and vocalist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey from Orphanage. [1] Wrixon performed on the band's debut single "The Farmer", but left before it was released in July 1970. [2] Bell left the band after a concert on New Year's Eve 1973, later citing "ill-health caused by the band's lifestyle" as the reason for his departure. [3] The guitarist was replaced by Gary Moore, although he would only remain with the band for a matter of months. [4] Andy Gee and John Du Cann took over for a tour in May, before Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham were enlisted later in the year as Bell's first full-time replacements. [5]
The lineup of Lynott, Gorham, Robertson and Downey released five studio albums and one live album, all but two of which reached the top ten of the UK Albums Chart, [6] before Robertson left in 1978 and was replaced by the returning Moore. [7] Downey also briefly took a break from Thin Lizzy around the same time, with Mark Nauseef replacing him for a tour in late 1978. [8] Moore left again in July 1979, [9] and was temporarily replaced by Midge Ure. [10] Dave Flett was brought in for a Japanese tour later in the year, as Ure moved over to keyboards, and in early 1980 Snowy White took Flett's place on a more permanent basis. [11] Darren Wharton replaced Ure in April, initially as a touring member. [12] White was replaced by John Sykes in September 1982, who featured on their last studio album Thunder and Lightning. [13] Thin Lizzy broke up in 1983, with their final performance taking place on 4 September on the German Monsters of Rock Tour; Lynott later died of heart failure and pneumonia on 4 January 1986. [14]
Thin Lizzy reformed in 1996, with Sykes taking over lead vocals and Marco Mendoza joining on bass, alongside returning members Gorham, Wharton and Downey. [15] Tommy Aldridge replaced Downey in 1998, and Wharton left in 2001 to focus on his own band Dare. [16] Mendoza and Aldridge left in 2003 to join Whitesnake, [17] with their places taken by Guy Pratt and Michael Lee, respectively. [18] Pratt was replaced later in the year by Randy Gregg. [19] [20] [21] Mendoza had returned to the band by early 2005, [22] as had Aldridge by early 2007. [23] Mendoza was replaced by Francesco DiCosmo later in 2007. [24] After more touring, Sykes departed Thin Lizzy in mid-2009, with DiCosmo and Aldridge leaving at the same time; speaking about the future of the band, Gorham claimed that "we will be back up to full speed soon". [25]
Gorham reformed Thin Lizzy in 2010 with former members Mendoza, Downey and Wharton, in addition to new guitarist Vivian Campbell and lead vocalist Ricky Warwick. [26] Campbell was replaced by Richard Fortus after returning to Def Leppard in mid-2011, [27] before Damon Johnson became his permanent replacement later in the year. [28] The band was put on hiatus in December 2012, when all members formed Black Star Riders, [29] before returning in 2016 with Mikkey Dee on drums. [30] Dee was replaced three months later by Judas Priest's Scott Travis, as Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton also replaced Mendoza. [31]
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Lynott | 1969–1983 |
| ||
Brian Downey | all Thin Lizzy releases except The Boys Are Back in Town (1997) and One Night Only (2000) | |||
Eric Bell | 1969–1973 |
| ||
Eric Wrixon | 1969–1970 |
|
"The Farmer" (1970) | |
Gary Moore |
|
|
| |
Scott Gorham | 1974–1983 | all Thin Lizzy releases from Nightlife (1974) onwards | ||
Brian Robertson | 1974–1978 |
| ||
Snowy White | 1980–1982 | |||
Darren Wharton | 1980–1983 |
|
| |
John Sykes | 1982–1983 |
|
|
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Andy Gee | 1974 |
|
none | |
John Du Cann | ||||
Mark Nauseef | 1978–1979 |
|
The Boys Are Back in Town (1997) | |
Midge Ure | 1979–1980 |
|
The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans – two tracks | |
Dave Flett | 1979 |
|
none |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Scott Gorham | 1996–present |
|
all Thin Lizzy releases from Nightlife (1974) onwards | |
Darren Wharton |
|
|
| |
Ricky Warwick | 2010–present |
|
all Thin Lizzy releases from Live in London 2011: 22.01.2011 (2011) onwards | |
Damon Johnson | 2011–present |
|
all Thin Lizzy Live 2012 releases (2012–2013) | |
Tom Hamilton | 2016–present | bass | none as yet | |
Scott Travis |
|
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brian Downey |
|
|
all Thin Lizzy releases except The Boys Are Back in Town (1997) and One Night Only (2000) | |
John Sykes | 1996–2009 |
|
| |
Marco Mendoza |
|
|
| |
Tommy Aldridge |
|
|
One Night Only (2000) | |
Michael Lee | 2003–2007 | none | ||
Guy Pratt | 2003 |
| ||
Randy Gregg | 2003–2005 | |||
Francesco DiCosmo | 2007–2009 | |||
Vivian Campbell | 2010–2011 |
|
Live in London 2011: 22.01.2011 and 23.01.2011 (2011) | |
Richard Fortus | 2011 | High Voltage Recorded Live: July 23rd 2011 (2011) | ||
Mikkey Dee | 2016 |
|
none |
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