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Irish Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Johnny Marr: 'There was a purity about Rory Gallagher'
JOHNNY Marr has a new addition to his studio. 'I'm looking at a poster of him now that I got from Jill Furmanovsky about three weeks ago,' he says. 'I had it framed and put up in the studio. Rainbow Theatre, March, 1973. It's a sweet picture.' The him is Rory Gallagher. Blues virtuoso, check shirt wizard, prodigal son of Cork and Donegal, Ireland's first rock star and guitar hero to many around the world, including Smiths legend Marr. 'There was a purity about him without him being puritanical,' says Marr. 'There was more to him than just showbusiness. It was almost something religious. You knew there was a vocation there. 'People who were moved by his records or shows never really lose their affection for him. 'It's not about nostalgia, it's something to do with his integrity.' Gallagher died 30 years ago this month in London aged just 47. It's impossible to overstate his importance to Irish music. With Taste he lit the flame for every Irish band that followed. As a solo artist, he sold millions of albums, was labelled the best guitarist in the world and was courted by The Rolling Stones. Born in Ballyshannon and reared in Cork, Gallagher illuminated the North in the darkest days of the Troubles and had a huge following across Europe. There's a street near Paris named in his honour. But he was a reluctant superstar, adopting the romantic image of a lonesome gunslinger in washed-out denims, something that would eventually be part of his undoing. 'Live by the guitar die by the guitar sort of philosophy, which turned out to be quite prophetic,' says Marr. 'I was such a big fan of him as a teenager. Not only did I enjoy his music and loved his shows, but I kinda clocked him in a way of carrying yourself as a musician… 'To walk on stage and with no pretensions just blow the roof off the place. 'It's all very well doing that with lasers and banks of keyboards, but when you're doing it with a really beat-up old guitar and beat-up amps in jeans and sneakers, without all the bells and whistles, it's pretty powerful. 'The message he seemed to send out was, 'All you need in life is your guitar and maybe an amp and everything's alright'. 'As a young idealistic musician that was really alluring.' Marr himself has long been regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of his or any generation. Manchester-born to parents from Athy in Co Kildare, he is revered for his music with The Smiths, Electronic, The The, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, The Healers and Hans Zimmer, amongst others, as well as a hugely successful solo career. But it all began with Rory. 'My bedroom was a shrine to Rory at one time,' he says. 'When you're lucky enough to have those figures who influence you, people who make an impact on your life, they do tend to become part of your life story. 'Even my family were touched by it. My family, they knew his stuff because I used to play it so much as a kid. 'As a parent myself I know what that's like. It becomes a touchstone for your family.' Gallagher was famed for his raw energy shows in the 1970s. Marr was a dedicated disciple. As a teenager, he slept in train stations after going to see Gallagher play and walked home from Manchester city centre to the suburbs of Wythenshawe. 'And it being Manchester it was raining,' he laughs. 'But that was because I wanted to stay back and get an autograph after the show and he gave me a guitar pick.' Between 1971 and 1979 Gallagher released eight studio albums with a mixture of powerhouse and acoustic blues in a period of ferocious creativity. The music is hard-wired into Marr's soul. 'What you pick up in your formative years stays with you,' he says. 'I didn't quite realise it in the '80s because my head was on new agendas, but as you get older you identify things. 'I think What Difference Does It Make sounds like Secret Agent. Had I not learned how to play Secret Agent… The way it's played, it's a similar kind of thing. 'Also, Daughter of the Everglades, you can hear his influence on me. And Rory did have a song on his first album called There Is A Light.' On stage is where Gallagher came alive and his albums Live In Europe and Irish Tour '74 captured him at his most forceful with bassist Gerry McAvoy by his side. But his output and success declined in the 1980s and 1990s. Alcohol and prescription medication impacted his health and he was hospitalised in March 1995 for a liver transplant. He died three months later on June 14, 1995 after contracting an infection in hospital. 'He was living around the corner from me at that time,' says Marr. 'We'd kinda gotten to know each other a little bit before he passed away. 'I bumped into him a couple of times and he called me on the phone a couple of times. 'I was working on a The The session when I heard. It was just really sad.' Gary Moore, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Ronnie Drew and John Sheahan were among the mourners at the funeral in Cork. A telegram from Bob Dylan which arrived too late was read out in the church: 'Get well quick, with God's speed, and keep playing.' In a 1976 interview for the Irish Times, Gallagher told Joe Breen he wanted to write film scores, screenplays and a concept album in the future. 'Most of all, I would like to envisage myself at 60 years of age like Muddy [Waters]…' he said. 'If I can affect people like he affects me at that age, I'll be happy.' Sadly it wasn't to be. 'I think had he got through the difficult period in music near the end of his life, I think he would've enjoyed a new chapter,' says Marr. 'You could imagine him being on the Jools Holland show every couple of years, playing at the Albert Hall. You could imagine him having the same kind of career as Bonnie Raitt. Or Nick Lowe. 'Someone who could've comfortably got into his vintage years, but there was just a weird curve that happened in the '80s and '90s that made him estranged from popular music. 'I think that's what happened. It sort of rocked him a bit. Had he got round that corner who knows what might've happened.' But the music lives on. Last weekend the annual Rory Gallagher Festival took place in Ballyshannon and blues great Joe Bonamassa will play Gallagher's music for three nights in Cork next month. A new statue of Gallagher was unveiled outside the Ulster Hall in Belfast earlier this year and a road will soon be named in his honour in Cork. His faithful Fender Stratocaster was also donated to the National Museum of Ireland after being sold at auction for more than €1million. It will go on display at Collins Barracks in September. Marr has played the signature Strat a number of times, including one memorable night at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. 'It caused quite a stir with the band and crew, it was like Excalibur had arrived,' he laughs. He owns another of his hero's old guitars – a bronze Silvertone 1415 which Gallagher used on A Million Miles Away. 'One of my prized possessions.' Over the years he's introduced the likes of Noel Gallagher and Bernard Butler to the Ballyshannon bluesman's music. Marr and his wife Angie have two grown-up children, Sonny and Nile, and Rory is part of their lives too. When Marr played in Athy, Limerick and Donegal last year it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a Johnny Marr Irish Tour '24 album. 'Why didn't I think of that?' he says, laughing. 'I might have to do some shows for that – Irish Tour '26!' Make it happen, Johnny. All you need is a guitar and maybe an amp. They might even let you borrow the one in Collins Barracks again.
Ammon
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Ammon
Foreign media directed against Jordan will not succeed, minister says
Ammon News - Minister of Government Communication, Mohammad Momani said that thwarting the latest terrorist plot was the result of professional intelligence efforts spanning over four years, noting that the operation required precise timing to protect the security of Jordanian an interactive dialogue at the Rainbow Theatre in Amman, Momani indicated that the terrorist plot was announced after all security and legal requirements had been met, within the framework of respect for the rule of law and citizens' what was published in a foreign newspaper, Momani pointed out that the report contained distorted facts and fabrications, adding that the relevant authorities responded to it and clarified the facts to public using media tools to dissuade Jordan from its established positions will not succeed, Momani stressed, emphasizing that the Kingdom makes its decisions and positions in accordance with its highest interests.
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Elton John Scores One Bestselling New Album Right After Another
Elton John is having quite a year, and his recent activity on the charts underscores that statement. The musical legend, who returned earlier in 2025 with his brand new collaborative album Who Believes in Angels? alongside Brandi Carlile, is enjoying quite the renaissance on the Billboard rankings in America. As fans rush to consume everything he's releasing, John scores yet another bestselling project, doubling up on one important roster with back-to-back hits. John is back on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart with yet another impressive effort. His latest offering, Live From the Rainbow Theatre, debuts at No. 35, giving the EGOT winner his second collaborative debut in just as many weeks. The set, created alongside legendary musician Ry Cooder, managed to sell 4,600 copies in the U.S. alone (according to Luminate). Live From the Rainbow Theatre was not a normal release. Instead, it arrived as part of Record Store Day, the annual music industry event that encourages top-tier artists to issue exclusive editions of new, live, or archival sets – typically available only on physical formats – through independent record stores. The goal is to entice music lovers to return to brick-and-mortar locations, giving them a much-needed sales boost. Only 5,000 vinyl copies of John's live album were produced. The set captures a slice of history, as it was recorded back in 1977 during a six-show residency at London's Rainbow Theatre that John and Cooder shared. Nearly all of the available LPs were snapped up within just a few days. Thanks to Live From the Rainbow Theatre, John has now collected 30 wins on the Top Album Sales chart throughout his remarkable career. That number also includes his most recent full-length, Who Believes in Angels?, which debuted on the list just last frame. This week, Who Believes in Angels? with Carlile dips from the runner-up spot to No. 10, but even with that fall, it still manages to outpace John's newer live offering by quite a sizable margin. While Who Believes in Angels? continues to impress on the Top Album Sales chart, its fortunes across other Billboard lists have shifted dramatically — though not necessarily through any fault of its own. On the Top Rock & Alternative Albums tally, the set falls from No. 1 to No. 33, a steep decline that might have been softened if that roster wasn't flooded with special Record Store Day releases. The project also tumbles down the Billboard 200, plummeting from No. 9 to No. 140. Somewhat surprisingly, it slips behind Diamonds, John's greatest hits collection, which remains inside the top quarter of that all-encompassing consumption ranking.
Forbes
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Elton John Charts Back-To-Back New Albums
Elton John is on a winning streak in the United Kingdom right now — one that most artists could only dream of replicating. In the span of just a few days, the legendary singer-songwriter has notched a historic No. 1 album and debuted two new titles on the charts in back-to-back frames. No matter how much music he releases, or how close together he shares new offerings, the piano player can't miss. John is back on the U.K. musical tallies with another new release. Live at the Rainbow, a live set tied to Record Store Day, debuts on both the Official Physical Albums and Official Albums Sales charts. The set opens at No. 61 on the list of the top-selling physical titles and just a few spots lower, at No. 66, on the all-around sales roster, which takes into account all formats. With Live at the Rainbow, John has now charted 21 releases on the Official Albums Sales roster throughout his career. This new success helps push his total on the Official Physical Albums ranking to a milestone 35. Live at the Rainbow is just one of dozens of Record Store Day exclusives to break onto the U.K. rankings this week. The project was recorded back in 1977 during John's six-night residency at London's Rainbow Theatre, where he performed alongside longtime collaborator Ry Cooder. The shows were captured for archival purposes — and, thankfully, they've now been revived for commercial release. The 12-track LP was hand-curated by John, who personally revisited the recordings and chose which performances made the cut. John's new triumph comes just one week after Who Believes in Angels?, his collaborative album with Brandi Carlile. That project debuted at No. 1 on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums charts just days ago. Now in its second frame, the title is down slightly across all the lists it opened on recently, but it still holds on inside the top 10 on four of the five charts it appears on. Two successful albums apparently isn't enough for the musician when it comes to the U.K. charts. John is also still going strong with Diamonds, his compilation that may never disappear. That set dips just two spots this week on the Official Albums chart, landing at No. 16, and remains at No. 8 on the Official Albums Streaming list. Even while promoting new music and releasing special editions of older material, his back catalog keeps racking up a huge number of plays via what must be a massive audience in the country.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chelsea Handler appearing at Whistler writers event May 5
Comedian, author and part-time Whistler resident Chelsea Handler will be doing a reading from her newest book, I'll Have What She's Having, at a Whistler Writers Festival (WWF) event at the Rainbow Theatre on May 5 (7 p.m.). An avid skier, Handler bought a house in the resort community back in 2020. She told The Hollywood Reporter her favourite run is Blackcomb's Arthur's Choice. Handler, whose latest standup special The Feeling is streaming on Netflix now, is known for sharing her life with fans through her standup and memoirs. In her new laugh out loud book, Handler, the author of six consecutive New York Times bestsellers shares a wide range of funny stories including the time as a kid she bolstered sales at her lemonade stand by spiking her product with vodka. She then took her windfall and used it to upgrade herself to a first-class plane seat on a family vacation while the rest of her family sat in coach. There's also a hilarious story about a stoned Handler finding herself at a pickleball game at George W. Bush's family home. During the visit Handler gets a personal art studio tour from the former president himself. 'I'm thrilled that Chelsea is coming to Whistler — she's an inspiration to so many people because of her approach to life and her willingness to share openly and honestly about what matters and the messier aspects of being human,' said Rebecca Wood Barrett, Whistler Writers Festival artistic director. 'From her podcast, Dear Chelsea, to her comedy specials on Netflix, Chelsea is someone who people love hearing from and we get to have her here, in person, talking about the many facets of her writing and work. It's very exciting. 'Chelsea is an inspiration and her writing is smart, insightful, and open,' Wood Barrett said. 'This event is not to be missed.' Aside from writing books and touring her standup show, Handler hosts the podcast Dear Chelsea, now is in its fifth season. Previously, she hosted the late-night talk show Chelsea Lately on the E! network from 2007 to 2014 and released a documentary series, Chelsea Does, on Netflix in January 2016. In 2016 and 2017, and hosted the talk show Chelsea on Netflix. Tickets are $35 and on sale now at The WWF, which this year runs Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, is also offering a chance to win two tickets to the event, alongside a copy of Handler's new book, and a two night stay (May 4 & 5) through MountainView Accommodation. Visit for more information. Chelsea Handler says cannabis has changed her life Funny women fill the JFL Northwest festival lineup Here are 5 B.C. books you should be reading right now Tanya Talaga and Thomas King headline Whistler Writers Festival gala event
