It's shocking to think that Phil Lynott was only 36 when he passed away back in 1986. It's also shocking - and more than a little sad - to realize that he would have turned 71 today. Celebrate the life of the ultimate Irish rock star in the most appropriate fashion - by listening to his music.
While we're all familiar with immortal Thin Lizzy classics like The Boys Are Back In Town and Dancing In The Moonlight, the extended catalog is always worth a deeper dive - we've always had a soft spot for Johnny The Fox Meets Jimmy The Weed, a downright funky number from 1976's Johnny The Fox album.
It should be noted that RTÉ Archives is a goldmine for classic Philo material, featuring performances and interviews from various stages of his life - see for yourself here. Below, Gay Byrne announces the break up of Thin Lizzy on The Late Late Show:
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While there's no questioning Philio's credentials as a rocker par excellence, he wasn't afraid to reveal his tender side - best captured in the exquisite ballad he penned for his daughter Sarah, from the 1979 Lizzy album Black Rose:
His final years proved somewhat hit and miss creatively - at the time of his passing, a Lizzy reunion was already on the cards - Phil's last hit came in 1985, less than 12 months before his tragic death. This duet with old Lizzy mucker Gary Moore was his highest-charting single in both Ireland and the UK.
His spirit lives on in generation after generation of Irish rock acts, and with a major new documentary in the works from director Emer Reynolds, Philo remains the ultimate Irish rock star. And the coolest man ever to walk the streets of his beloved Dublin.
This one never gets old...
