by Regina » 26 Sep 2016, 20:47
Hello everyone, HELLO Anna (the same name of my daughter!) ...
I would like to give you, like everyone here, WELCOME !
After all, this is a place where we can exchange ideas and try to know us a little better talking about someone who was, is & I still intuit that for a long time in the future will be so beneficial in our lives as RG & ... this is great!
You say you haven´t the chance to see him when he did a tour to Poland, no friend? It´s really pity!...
I'm also so far - diametrically in an opposite place & tooooo far ! - & as you, despite I have had the chance to "know" who was RG I let it go blank!
My initial memories of Rory is one day having read something about the roots and rock'n'roll branches in a publication here in my country (Brazil) & he was located between (the said) BIG ONES ... my main memory of his figure, is the image on the cover of Taste "On the Boards", then gone the 70´s ...
I was soooooo young then, I would enter in the teens and my attention was directed to other artists ... what sad ! The times showed WHO were some of them...
However, I never knew "why" I never forgot (it was ever so clear & deep in my brain), this IMAGE of an ethereal face of RG engraved with fire and sword (the cover of "On the boards"...)... I never forgot that.
The years passed ...
Between one thing and another going on in my life, taking me the winds in different directions (like everybody....), however, occasionally I heard/saw/read something about him - at this time already in a solo career - but, incredibly, slid to the other side, not giving the due attention to the great work that he so sublime and hardly developed in the musical field, so beautifully with the blues ...
Surprise, years later, I heard (do not remember exactly HOW MUCH time (years?) after or somewhere) I read that he had died. I see his image: so different from the sprightly lad, cheerful, dynamic! But STILL very beautiful and fleetingly seen, very good in theirs gigs, even the final ones ...
I stayed (do not know why), very sad, but the years continued stubbornly to go through...
But I did not remember to know details about his death ...
The impact of his death, however, would hit me (I do not understand why) just recently - about a year ago - INEXPLICABLY! Mysteriously I wanted an explanation for this... (SERIOUSLY!...)
I reminded him in youthful days ... I found myself looking eagerly to know "what had happened" in the Rory´s life ... how strange! It seemed to me he was "someone very close", as someone of my family, a close friend who had left and that only now, SO LATE, made me shed tears for a disappearance that occurred so many years ago!
Someone who I did not even met ... someone who I had a chance to enjoy but deliberately I did not do it when at his time...!
What accounts for this? Depression of age? it´s a puzzle... an enigma!
The sense of loss was strangely overwhelming, especially because I have never been to idolize to the point NO ONE, even those called "teenage idols" (by chance!) every teenager falls in love... Never, at any time, I was so ... And NOOOWWW I´m not no more a teen !! Absolutely, ah-haahahahaha...
Suddenly I saw he was a person which had a life so richly dedicated in making something so beautiful, cool, dynamic, with commitment, respect and sense of responsibility as MUSIC, in such a poignant gift that gives a certain complete DONATION to people, to the art of music....
Suddenly found myself weeping, wailing ... why I no provided the due attention the long while he did in life! How could this happen?! Stupefied, today, I feel alarmed by the feeling of LOSS by a person in a way "met" in life, I did not pay due attention, he did a great work and I lost it all! Wow, the feeling was of deep frustration ... unbelievable!
Petrified by the beauty (for example !!) of "Within wheels wheels", I heard continuously for days on end... also, "Edged in blue" ... or "Will ye go lassie go" (with Phil Coulter)... It is to bring tears to my eyes! Or the grace of "Tatto´d lady"... or the adorables "Shadow play" & "Bad penny" ... Or (wonders of wonders!!), "Overnight bags" & "Millions miles away!... & more... more... MORE !!!! Lots of music through the years until the eve of his death, that touch .... sweet ballads ... heavy rocks .... poignant blues ... songs that reach the heart, the soul! Permeated by the purest guitar solos, in a voice that elevates, rhythms that warm, images that do not loosen never our minds!
I started again from scratch to listen, read, browse, search, try to KNOW and try to capture what was that far off "day to day" and who accompanied him (fans, friends, whatever!) & today, I can say it haven´t a day goes by that I do not hear something on RG and I try to spread to those around me, whenever I can and give, on the magnificent work he left us, I speak of who was this amazing person to many people I can ...
& today, reading your post, as you - & many others - I'm sorry for not having had the opportunity to see him alive... I also feel so much by the fact that within the Rory career, never having even been "ventilated" a possible his coming to my country, because many others have come & did gigs by here - among other things, even if not be "the beach" it maybe even the most famous event (I believe) as the "Rock in Rio"...
Many artists came here (and I think still will), as The Stones, Elton John, Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Cat Stevens, Jim Capaldi, Rod Stewart, Alice Cooper, Roger Waters, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Skorpions, Queen, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, etc., etc., etc ... Someone I liked & I saw, others........... At present, what I think is that was a pity not to have had the opportunity to see Rory HERE, alive & that he didn´t came until us to knows us...
Anyway, this serves to put that here in Brazil, in conversations that sometimes have with friends "contemporary" is still noticeable know that RG has many fans here (in opposite, is true that many have never heard ...) but I think it is perfectly possible to bring his work to this new/brand new generation and when I can, I do it with great pleasure, having the satisfaction of seeing that is very positive the feed-back when "present" with much love, gratitude and affection, something of RG .. . and yesssss, I have endeavored in this part because I know worth - we owe this to the tireless and elaborate work left by Rory Gallagher to us... this wonderful gentleman that Ireland has given us !
Good afternoon dear people...sorry for my English - really ! & more, I am very happy to be among YOU all!
-Cynthia
and of course forgot to mention that I'd been reading this forum long before I even registered 
