Growing up with a world-renowned guitar hero for a father comes with its unique set of challenges and advantages. Jack Moore, the son of the late Irish blues virtuoso Gary Moore, shares how having such a legendary figure as his father shaped his musical journey. While he acknowledges that there are few better teachers than the former Thin Lizzy guitarist, there was also a sense of strictness and high expectations that came with it.
In a recent conversation with Guitar Player, Jack recalled how his father would send him to his room to practice his vibrato. “He identified that as a weakness in me at first. So he was like, ‘Get to your room, practice,’” Jack remembers. The young guitarist took this advice to heart, spending hours listening to Jimi Hendrix and honing his craft in pursuit of his father’s approval.
Gary Moore had earned international fame with Skid Row before joining Thin Lizzy as the replacement for founding guitarist Eric Bell. His successful solo career after the release of Black Rose in 1979, along with his stint in the short-lived power trio BBM (Baker, Bruce, and Moore), set a high standard for his son. Jack learned early on that mediocrity was not an option in the Moore household.
Jack shares one memorable moment when his father walked past him while he was playing in the living room. “He shot me this look of ‘Do that again,’” Jack recalls. After bending the string as instructed, Gary nodded in approval before simply walking off. This moment encapsulated the mix of encouragement and strictness that defined Jack’s musical upbringing.
Starting his own career in 2008 by playing alongside his father, Jack Moore has since shared the stage with renowned acts like Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, and Joe Bonamassa. Now based in Barcelona, Jack is currently in Poland with his musical partner, multi-instrumentalist Quentin Kovalsky, where they are working on an album together.
Earlier this year, Jack released his first single, “In My Shoes,” a track that pays homage to the legacy of Irish blues rock. “I think my father would have loved this song,” Jack said in an interview with Guitar World. “There’s a nod to Thin Lizzy’s unmistakable dual guitars in there, too. I think it’s very much up my father’s street in terms of style.”
While some rockstar children, such as Wolfgang Van Halen, seek to carve their own path separate from their parents’ legacies, Jack Moore, much like Dweezil Zappa, embraces his heritage. He continues to honor his father’s legacy through his own music, carrying forward the skills and passion Gary Moore instilled in him. Jack has toured extensively with the Gary Moore Tribute Band and contributed to Bob Daisley’s album, Moore Blues For Gary (A Tribute To Gary Moore), where he played a solo on the track “This One’s For You.”
In 2017, on what would have been his father’s 65th birthday, Jack released the song “Phoenix” with guitarist Danny Young, playing one of Gary Moore’s iconic Gibson guitars in tribute.
Gary Moore passed away in 2011, but his influence continues to resonate in Jack’s work. As Jack embarks on his own musical journey, he carries with him the lessons his father taught him. “He instilled a lot of the hard work in music for me, and to never take anything for granted,” Jack reflects. “He also gave me the passion to do my own thing, go create and have my own unique style and identity. He was a great dad in so many ways.”
In January, plans for a Gary Moore statue to be erected in Belfast, Northern Ireland, were announced, with Jack fully supporting the project. He expressed that his family would be “proud” to see the statue unveiled in the city where his father grew up.
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