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They proved to be excellent choices as the whole band gelled and worked well together. He held auditions, and in the end, Brian Roberston from Glasgow and Scott Gorham from California were selected. After mulling the situation over, Phil decided that it was an excellent time to expand the band's guitars and replace him with two guitarists. Unfortunately, he left the band in April 1974 due to health worries as well as friction between himself and Phil over control of the band. Gary Moore stepped into the breach long enough for Thin Lizzy to complete their tour. Finally, he was persuaded to finish the set but quit for good the next day. Eric felt the band was not allowing him to make the kind of music he believed in, and he even walked off stage during a performance in Belfast.
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In 1973, Eric Bell left the band and was replaced by another of his countrymen, Gary Moore. This initiative helped to drive the band's success in later years. He began to network in earnest and developed contacts in the music business and among journalists. He was intelligent enough to realise that media support was key to a band's success. It helped Phil, who was a shy boy while growing up, become the dynamic and charming frontman beloved by his fans.ĭuring this time, Phil also worked hard to develop his musical ability and found the power and soul in his voice. They had to do a lot to win the crowd over. They often played as a support act, and the audiences they faced were indifferent at best. While far from ideal, at least it gave the band, particularly Phil, the chance to perfect their performance. It took another three years for the band to write another hit. Their next single returned to their usual sound and once again sold poorly. The band were not impressed with their label's decision to release this song as they felt it didn't represent the music they made. Decca chose to release Whiskey In The Jar and the same time, which shot to number 6 in the UK charts and number 1 in Ireland. They were touring with Slade, who had already had several big hits. It seemed they might have hit the big time in 1972. Unfortunately, neither that first album nor the subsequent albums (Shades of a blue orphanage, Vagabonds of the western world and Fighting) sold particularly well. They managed to get a recording contract fairly quickly with Decca, and following a move to London, they released Thin Lizzy, their first album, in April 1971. In spite of Skid Row's low opinion of his vocal talents, Phil became the lead singer, the bassist, and the band's chief songwriter. Phil met a guitarist from Belfast called Eric Bell. Phil created a band with a school friend and named it Orphanage. Founding member Bush Shiels, who had invited him to join the band, then taught him to play bass as he appeared to have no future as a singer. However, the other members didn't feel his singing was up to scratch, and he was asked to leave the band. He was tall, thin and striking and seemed perfect as a frontman. The Black Eagles broke up in 1966, and he was recruited into the Irish rock band Skid Row. He adored music and loved Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley in particular. He had already begun singing with a local rock group called the Black Eagles. Phil hated the job and quit after a few weeks following a discussion with his mother. He dreamed of becoming an architect rather than a musician, but in 1967 he apprenticed as a fitter and turner at the Tonge and Taggart foundry. He attended Armagh Road Catholic Boys School, followed by Clogher Road technical college. Over time his fun personality shone through, and he became a popular boy. None of them had ever seen an Afro, and they were actually jealous as he wouldn't need to comb it. To Phil's confusion, his new classmates lined up in the playground wanting to touch his hair. He was a subject of fascination on his first day at Christian Brothers School in Crumlin, Dublin. However, he and his mother stayed in contact and remained very close throughout his childhood.Īlthough he experienced some racism, he was so likeable that he escaped relatively unscathed. When he was four years old, Phil moved to Ireland to live with his grandparents. At the time of his death, Phil knew he had a sister but never found out about his brother. Tragically, Phil never met them as Philomena gave them both up for adoption. In those years, Philomena gave birth to Phil's siblings, a sister called Jeanette and a son named James.