Thin Lizzy

**Thin Lizzy** are an Erse hard rock baund formit in Dublin in 1969. Twa o the foondin members, drummer Brian Downey an bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in schuil. Lynott assumit the role o frontman an led them throughoot thair recordin career o thirteen studio albums. Thin Lizzy are best kent for thair sangs "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak" an "The Boys Are Back in Town", aw major internaitional hits still played regularly on hard rock an classic rock radio stations. Efter Lynott's daith in 1986, various incarnations o the baund hae emergit ower the years based aroond guitarists Scott Gorham an John Sykes, tho Sykes left the baund in 2009.

Lynott, Thin Lizzy's *de facto* leader, wis composer or co-composer o amaist aw o the baund's sangs, an the first black Erseman tae achieve commercial success in the field o hard rock muisic. Thin Lizzy boastit some o the mist creetically acclaimit guitarists throughoot thair history, wi Downey an Lynott as the rhythm section, on the drums an bass guitar. As well as bein multiracial, the baund drew thair members no anerlie frae baith sides o the Erse border but an aw frae baith the Catholic an Protestant communities durin The Troubles. Thair muisic reflects a wide range o influences, includin kintra muisic, psychedelic rock, an traditional Erse fowk muisic, but is generally classifeed as hard rock or whiles hivy metal. *[[Rolling Stone]]* magazine describes the baund as distinctly hard rock, "far apairt frae the brayin mid-70s metal pack".

Allmusic creetic John Dougan haes written that "As the baund's creative force, Lynott wis a mair insichtful an intelligent writer than mony o his ilk, preferrin slice-o-life wirkin-class dramas o love an hate influencit bi Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, an virtually aw o the Erse leeterary tradition." Van Morrison, Jeff Beck an Jimi Hendrix wur major influences durin the early days o the baund, an later influences includit American airtists Little Feat an Bob Seger.

## Oreegin o the baund name
The baund's oreeginal guitarist Eric Bell, who wis a fan o John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, bought a copy o *[[The Dandy]]* comic efter seein Eric Clapton depictit readin a copy o its sister publication *[[The Beano]]* on the kiver o the 1966 album *[[Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton]]*. He suggestit Tin Lizzie, the name o a robot character frae the comic, itsel namit for the common nickname for the iconic Ford Model T caur. Bell an aw suggestit thay chynge 'Tin' tae 'Thin' tae play on the Erse accent's propensity tae drop the 'h'. Efter a while, Lynott an Downey agreed tae the idea an the name stuck, as thay thocht the confusion wis amusin an wad creaut a talkin pynt. For some o thair early gigs, the baund wur mistakenly promotit as "Tin Lizzy" or "Tin Lizzie".


## Style an legacy
 
Frae 1974, Thin Lizzy switched frae uisin ane lead guitarist tae twa. Tho ithers haed earlier uised seemilar techniques, Thin Lizzy are widely recognisit as ane o the first hard rock baunds tae employ dooble lead guitar harmony soond – a technique pioneered bi Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac an Wishbone Ash in the UK, whilst independently in the USA bi Lynyrd Skynyrd an The Allman Brothers Band. This style wis later refinit an popularisit in the mid-1970s bi baunds lik Thin Lizzy an Judas Priest, an later bi the emergin New Wave o Breetish Hivy Metal groups sic as Iron Maiden an Def Leppard. Iron Maiden covered the sang "Massacre" frae Thin Lizzy's *[[Johnny the Fox]]* album, an released it on thair 1988 single Can I Play with Madness. A kiver o "Cowboy Song" appears on "Sound of White Noise" bi Anthrax as the bonus track for album's Japanese release.

Thin Lizzy is anaw the major inspiration for modren hivy metal baunds, mist notably Metallica
and Mastodon. Mastodon covered Thin Lizzy's classic "Emerald", which haes been includit as a bonus track for thair Japanese release o thair album *[[Remission (Mastodon album)|Remission]]*. Thay hae played the sang live several times, includin an acoustic version wi Scott Gorham on guitar. Henry Rollins haes expressed a fondness for Thin Lizzy, an the Rollins Band covered thair sang "Are You Ready?" on thair album *[[Get Some Go Again]]* (2000).

## Baund members

;Current members
*Brian Downey – drums (1969–83, 1996–98, 2010–present)
*Scott Gorham – guitar, backin vocals (1974–83, 1996–2001, 2004–present)
*Darren Wharton – keybuirds, vocals (1981–83, 1996–2001, 2010–present)
*Marco Mendoza – bass guitar, backin vocals (1996–2001, 2005–07, 2010–present)
*Ricky Warwick – lead vocals, occasional guitar (2010–present)
*Damon Johnson – guitar, backin vocals (2011–present)

;Umwhile members
*Phil Lynott – bass guitar, lead vocals (1969–83)
*Eric Bell – guitar, backin vocals (1969–73)
*Eric Wrixon – keybuirds, backin vocals (1969–70)
*Gary Moore – guitar, backin vocals (1974, 1977, 1978–79)
*Brian Robertson – guitar, backin vocals (1974–78)
*Midge Ure – guitar, keybuirds an backin vocals (1979–80)
*Dave Flett – guitar, backin vocals (1979)
*Snowy White – guitar, backin vocals (1980–82)
*John Sykes – guitar, lead an backin vocals (1982–83, 1996–2001, 2004–09)
*Tommy Aldridge – drums (1998–2001, 2007–09)
*Randy Gregg – bass guitar, backin vocals (2004–05)
*Michael Lee – drums (2004–07)
*Francesco DiCosmo – bass guitar, backin vocals (2007–09)
*Vivian Campbell – guitar, backin vocals (2010–11)
*Richard Fortus – guitar, backin vocals (2011)

## Discography

**[[Thin Lizzy (album)|Thin Lizzy]]* (1971)
**[[Shades of a Blue Orphanage]]* (1972)
**[[Vagabonds of the Western World]]* (1973)
**[[Nightlife (Thin Lizzy album)|Nightlife]]* (1974)
**[[Fighting (Thin Lizzy album)|Fighting]]* (1975)
**[[Jailbreak (album)|Jailbreak]]* (1976)
**[[Johnny the Fox]]* (1976)
**[[Bad Reputation (Thin Lizzy album)|Bad Reputation]]* (1977)
**[[Live and Dangerous]]* (1978)
**[[Black Rose: A Rock Legend]]* (1979)
**[[Chinatown (Thin Lizzy album)|Chinatown]]* (1980)
**[[Renegade (Thin Lizzy album)|Renegade]]* (1981)
**[[Thunder and Lightning (album)|Thunder and Lightning]]* (1983)
**[[Life (Thin Lizzy album)|Life]]* (1983)
**[[One Night Only (Thin Lizzy album)|One Night Only]]* (2000)

## References

## External links

* Official website tour news 
* The Official Thin Lizzy website
* The Roisín Dubh Trust 
* 2005 Rolling Stone.com article on Lizzy/Lynott
* Lizzy Days  – Album artwork, photos and remembrances bi Lizzy/Lynott friend, Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick
* Andy Gee Interview (1974 Lizzy guitarist)