Widely recognized by Rock fans for his time spent in the ranks of THIN LIZZY, Gary Moore has continued to pursue a prolific solo career that has often elevated the man into the British charts. Moore's most enduring solo hit, of course, being 1979's brooding instrumental 'Parisienne Walkways'. Throughout the 80s GARY MOORE elevated his career with a series finely crafted Hard Rock albums. His output would then become more Celtic orientated and would then switch direction totally to a purist Blues vein achieving a second round of success for the guitarist.

Moore was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on April 4th 1952. Moore was raised in Castleview Road, off the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast. He first picked up an acoustic guitar at the age of eight, and graduated to his first quality guitar at the age of fourteen. Despite being naturally left handed he learned to play the right-handed instrument in the conventional manner and would find inspiration from seeing JIMI HENDRIX play live in his hometown.

The teenage guitarist's entry into the music world came with Jazz rock act SKID ROW in 1969 with Noel Bridgeman and Brendan "Brush" Shiels, recording 'Skid Row' in 1970 and '34 Hours' in 1971, before going solo with 1973's Martin Birch co-produced 'Grinding Stone' credited to THE GARY MOORE BAND. Handling lead vocals and guitar, Moore was joined by second guitarist Phillip Donnelly, bassist John Curtis and Frank Boylan, keyboard player Jan Schelhaas with Pearse Kelly. Subsequently Moore shot to global repute with an off and on relationship with THIN LIZZY.

In 1979 Moore would rehearse with erstwhile BLACK SABBATH vocalist and fellow Jet Records artist OZZY OSBOURNE but this proposed project came to naught. During 1980 Moore rehearsed with ex-DEEP PURPLE vocalist GLENN HUGHES and drummer Mark Nauseef for what was to become G-FORCE. However, Hughes departed and bassist Willie Dee (actually ex-CAPTAIN BEYOND frontman Willy Daffern) and vocalist Tony Newton brought the band up to strength.

G-FORCE would be shortlived. So, after a stint with the GREG LAKE BAND, including an American tour, Moore set about constructing a new band, leading to the recording of the 'Corridors Of Power' album, a record that would seriously push Moore's name to the fore.

For 'Corridors Of Power', which featured a cover of FREE's 'Wishing Well', Moore at first enrolled MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP vocalist Gary Barden. Although Barden demoed the material Moore opted to take the lead vocal mantle himself for the actual album and assembled a line-up of WHITESNAKE bassist Neil Murray and ex DEEP PURPLE and WHITESNAKE drummer Ian Paice together with keyboard player Tommy Eyre of the GREG LAKE BAND. At the time of recording the WHITESNAKE duo of Murray and Paice were both uncertain about their future within that group.

Murray would leave Moore in late 1983 and was replaced by ex-RAINBOW and NINJA bassist Criaig Gruber. Paice left in mid 1984 to join the reformed DEEP PURPLE and his place was temporarily filled by Bobby Chouinard, on loan from American artist BILLY SQUEIR's band.

In the interim, and upon completion of the album, ex TED NUGENT vocalist Charlie Huhn was drafted in for live work although he would leave at the end of 1982, along with Tommy Eyre. The pair were replaced by ex-URIAH HEEP and LONE STAR vocalist JOHN SLOMAN and keyboard player Don Airey respectively. With this new roster of players, Moore toured North America supporting RUSH.

For the 1985 album 'Run For Cover' Moore assembled a more awesome list of contributing musicians and no less than four producers. The men at the production helm included Andy Johns, Peter Collins, Mike Stone and Beau Hill. Musicians included THIN LIZZY's PHIL LYNOTT, GLENN HUGHES and ex-RAINBOW and OZZY OSBOURNE man Bob Daisley on bass. Lynott, Moore himself and Hughes on vocals, three different drummers in Paul Thompson, Charlie Morgan and ex-BLACK ROSE and CHANNEL man Gary Ferguson and keyboards courtesy of WILD HORSES and UFO man Neil Carter, DON AIREY, previously with RAINBOW, and Andy Richards. Interestingly, a prominent single from 'Run For Cover', the ballad 'Empty Rooms', was co-written by by Moore and Carter whilst the latter was still a member of UFO.

The liaison with GLENN HUGHES was meant to result in the structuring of a permanent band, but the man's well known problems with substance abuse proved the undoing of this effort. Amidst bizarre accusations of over eating, an addiction to 'Mars Bars' and other erratic behaviour, Hughes quit and flew home to Los Angeles. Whatever, the GARY MOORE band would appear at the prestigious Castle Donington 'Monsters Of Rock' festival that year on an awesome bill that included AC/DC, VAN HALEN, OZZY OSBOURNE, ACCEPT, Y&T and M?TLEY CRÜE.

In early 1985 Moore reunited with PHIL LYNOTT to record the single 'Out In The Fields', recorded with drummer Charlie Morgan and keyboard player Andy Richards. The success of the single provided the pair a welcome return to the singles charts.

Later on in 1985 Moore once again performed a lengthy series of shows in Britain with his touring band, which now consisted of Neil Carter and a rejoining Gary Ferguson. 1986 saw Moore touring his band heavily again - including a special guest appearance at MARILLION's 'Garden Party' festival at Milton Keynes - before hooking up with QUEEN for a series of massive European shows and a headliner in Finland. Later that year the guitarist also found time to contribute to ex BLODWYN PIG man Jack Lancaster's solo album 'Deep Green'.

Whilst 1987's 'Wild Frontier' offered a Gaelic flavour to the Moore sound, 1989's 'After The War' followed a similar path. The latter record stayed heavy, but did find Gary ditching some of the more Celtic influences.

During this period the band line-up remained stable with Moore's songwriting partner Neil Carter on keyboards, drummer COZY POWELL and bassist Bob Daisley. The album featured Gary's tribute to the now deceased PHIL LYNOTT in the song 'Blood Of Emeralds' as well as a scathing attack on the band KINGDOM COME in 'Led Clones'. This latter track featured a guest vocal appearance by old acquaintance OZZY OSBOURNE.

As a new decade beckoned so did a fresh musical outlook for Moore. The guitarist abandoned his Hard Rock leanings and launched into headlong into the Blues. His 1990 album 'Still Got The Blues' opened up a whole new audience in America as well as other parts of the globe. In Sweden, for example, the album even topped the national charts.

Moore would form BBM with ex CREAM veterans frontman JACK BRUCE and drummer GINGER BAKER in 1993 for an album and well received tour. By 1995 Moore was once more solo, slotting in a tribute concert for former FLEETWOOD MAC guitarist PETER GREEN in London during May and returned in 1997 with an altogether different new record entitled 'Dark Days In Paradise'.

In 2000 Swedish Metal band THRYFING covered 'Over The Hills And Far Away' for their 'Urkraft' album.

2001 proved a busy year for Moore. He put in appearances on JOHN MAYALL'S BLUESBREAKERS 'Along For The Ride' and JIM CAPALDI's 'Living On The Outside' albums. The guitarist, alongside ERIC CLAPTON, also united with his former BBM colleague JACK BRUCE on his new solo album on a re-recorded version of the CREAM classic 'Sunshine Of Your Love'. Numerous re-issues and box sets commemorating Gary's career also surfaced.

Touring throughout the year commenved with British dates, a May 27th appearance at the 'Bishopstock' festival alongside PETER GREEN and TAJ MAHAL and then on June 16th the famous Irish Fleadh event with NEIL YOUNG and VAN MORRISON.

In the Autumn off 2001 Moore formed a confederation once more with JACK BRUCE and, along with drummer Gary Husband, committed two JOHN LEE HOOKER songs 'I'm In The Mood' and 'It Serves Me Right To Suffer' to a tribute album.

Recordings for a new album 'Scars' set for release during September of 2002 included Gary working with a rhythm section of former SKUNK ANANSIE bass player Cass Lewis and PRIMAL SCREAM drummer Darrin Mooney. The guitarist hinted upfront of the release that he had moved away from his successful Blues back to music with a harder edge, as such the Chris Tsangarides produced album would in fact be credited to a band title of SCARS. Moore would be confirmed as headline act for the UK 'Bulldog Bash' festival and as guests to ZZ TOP on their October European dates. UK dates in March of 2003 had the band hooked up with the resurrected WHITESNAKE and Y&T on the 'Monsters Of Rock' package tour. To the welcome surprise of many fans Moore's live set saw a return to the Hard Rock classics. Unfortunately the guitarist suffered a tendon injury on these shows and proposed festival dates throughout the Summer were duly cancelled.

GARY MOORE spent late 2003 recording new tracks with his old colleague Bob Daisley on bass guitar and Darrin Mooney on drums, these sessions culminating in his 23rd album, the Chris Tsangarides co-produced 'Power Of The Blues'. Featured alongside Moore originals would be a take on the WILLIE DIXON standards 'Evil' and 'I Can't Quit You Baby'. In a somewhat unexpected diversion, the guitarist recorded a guest appearance for the song 'Kabir' on the 'Broken Rhythms' album by noted Indian musician and composer TRILOK GURTU.

Retaining both Daisley and Mooney's services Moore set out on European Summer dates throughout 2004. Unfortunately these gigs would be affected by a wrist injury. Moore, having contracted an infection to his left hand requiring hospitalisation, pulled out of a scheduled appearance at the 'Blue Balls Music' festival in Luzern, Switzerland. The injury also saw Moore cancelling his show at the 'Miller Strat Pack' concert on 24th September at London's Wembley Arena.

In November the Finnish label Lion Music assembled a tribute entitled 'Give Us Moore'. The opening track, 'Led Clones' executed by DOGPOUND would see a guesting Peter Tägtgren of HYPOCRISY on vocals. Leading Dutch Progressive Rock act ARABESQUE tackled 'She's Got You', veteran German Rockers DOMAIN contributed 'Over The Hills And Far Away' and Bulgarians STAR QUEEN included their rendition of 'Empty Rooms'.

MIND'S EYE and TEARS OF ANGER drummer Daniel Flores assembled some friends, comprising vocalist Andreas Novak, guitarist Benny Jansson, bassist Andreas Olsson and keyboard player Andreas Lindahl, to cut 'Wild Frontiers'. JOOP WALTERS gave his interpretation of 'The Loner', Japanese band KING OF DARKNESS included 'Falling In Love With You', Italians ORION RIDERS gave 'After The War', HOUSE OF SHAKIRA lent 'Shapes Of Things' and IRON MASK delivered 'Out In The Fields'. MATTSSON, featuring a guesting ex-MEGADETH guitarist CHRIS POLAND, closed out with 'Parisienne Walkways'.

In January 2005 Moore donated his skills to the single 'Grief Never Grows Old', a benefit track released to aid victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster. August 20th 2005 saw The Roisin Dubh Trust unveiling a life size bronze statue of PHIL LYNOTT in Grafton Street, Dublin. To coincide, an all-star concert billed as 'The Boy Is Back In Town' would be held at The Point in Dublin. Performers alongside the GARY MOORE included THIN LIZZY compatriots the ERIC BELL BAND, Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Brian Downey, Brush Shiels plus DARE, WHEATUS and THERAPY?