Philo Remembered

We lost Phil Lynott on January 4, 1986. If I was really honest I might

say that his passing was a bit of an anti-climax then. His music

seemed to have lost his relevance. His death was drawn out and

depressing. There were other Irish acts in the ascent and another

heroin casualty was essentially wasteful.

Like many others, I've spent the past 27 years listening to the music,

talking to his old friends and savoring the remarkable tales. And of

course, reassessing the life story. When I wrote the authorized

biography in 1996, I heard some things that made me feel bad about the

guy. But there were so many instances of humour, tenacity and bravado.

As the late Bill Graham once wrote, he was the Irish Elvis. He showed

a generation how to live boldly and loosely. He built a new layer on

the musical vernacular. I have a fondness for the melancholy in those

early releases, but the leather trousers were also essential.

Tonight, fans will toast Phil's achievements in Dublin, Stockholm, Los

Angeles and elsewhere. It is difficult to imagine how he might have

progressed beyond 1986 but we can supposed that he would have been a

dude, enjoying his classic status and the waves of rocking acolytes.

Belfast can take some comfort in the appearance of his mother,

Philomena Lynott at the Black Box on the afternoon of January 12.

She's be talking about the revised edition of her book, 'My Boy' and

we'll doubtless be reminded of the Phil-shaped vacancy in the music

world.