Joe Bonamassa The Spirit Of Rory - Live From Cork (180g) (Red Marble Vinyl)

On *The Spirit of Rory – Live From Cork*, Joe Bonamassa pays a heartfelt tribute to one of his greatest sources of inspiration: Rory Gallagher. Recorded live in Cork – Gallagher’s hometown – in 2025, the album captures Bonamassa and his band celebrating the authentic, rousing blues-rock legacy of the Irish guitar legend before an enthusiastic audience of loyal fans. The performance combines faithful renditions of Gallagher classics with Bonamassa’s own fiery guitar style, creating a powerful tribute that honours the spirit, soul and enduring influence of one of blues-rock’s most revered musicians.

In the years since Rory Gallagher’s sudden death on 14 June 1995, aged just 47, his standing in the music world has remained undiminished. Rory was a self-taught virtuoso who sparked a musical revolution, escaped the pitfalls of fame and yet became an internationally acclaimed superstar and an inspiration to many.
In Germany, he was one of the most influential artists in the history of WDR Rockpalast. In 1977, he opened the first WDR Rocknacht at the Grugahalle in Essen with a legendary concert. He appeared as a guest on Rockpalast in 1979, 1982 and again in 1990.
Gallagher’s influence spanned generations – from Slash to Johnny Marr, from The Edge (U2) to Brian May (Queen) and James Dean Bradfield (Manic Street Preachers) – every aspiring guitarist who came across him was inspired, or even transformed, by the power of the guitar.

Very few guitarists can do justice to Rory’s music and his virtuoso guitar playing, and Joe Bonamassa took on the challenge, which he himself described as ‘the greatest challenge of my musical life’. Over three sold-out evenings, Joe and his first-class band brought Gallagher’s music to life in a whole new light, and the result is now available on Dracula Red