Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa has fulfilled a long-held ambition by buying a sunburst Fender Stratocaster guitar in the Cork music store where his hero Rory Gallagher bought his signature instrument more than 60 years ago.
Bonamassa, from New York, is in Cork to play three sold-out concerts next week as part of the Live in the Marquee series. He will perform Gallagher’s Irish Tour ’74 set in full to mark the 30th anniversary of the Ballyshannon-born guitarist’s death in 1995 at age 47.
After arriving to prepare for the concerts, Bonamassa visited Crowley’s Music Store on Friar Street and bought the Stratocaster from Sheena Crowley, whose father, Michael, sold Gallagher a similar guitar in 1963.
“I’ve always wanted to buy a sunburst Fender Stratocaster from Crowley’s Music Centre in Cork,” Bonamassa said on Instagram. “Today I did. Big thanks to Sheena and all the great folks I met today.”
An old flame has got back in touch – but we’re both married
Teacher and SNA resign from Dublin school over alleged ‘harassment’ by parents for wearing keffiyeh scarves
Legislation on housing for foreign nationals to be brought forward under plan
Terrorism inquiry into Kneecap’s alleged call to murder Tory MPs dropped, Met Police confirms
Bonamassa, who has sold more than 10 million records, has been a Gallagher fan ever since his father, Len, introduced him in the 1980s to the Cork musician via the 1972 Live in Europe album.
“We have some Rory Gallagher in the US, we didn’t get a whole lot, there’s a much more extensive catalogue available in Europe ... but the one that really stuck out to me and that I wore out and listened to death was Irish Tour ‘74, which I think is really him in essence,” Bonamassa said previously.
Ms Crowley, who says she remembers Gallagher calling to talk to her late father when their shop was on Merchant’s Quay and later MacCurtain Street, recalled the story behind Gallagher’s signature guitar, which became one of the most famous in rock music.
“It had been ordered by Jim Conlon, who was playing with The Royal Showband,” she said. “He had wanted a cherry red Stratocaster, but Fender sent a sunburst one, so he decided against taking it and so my father sold it as a second-hand guitar. Rory bought it and the rest is history.”
She said she was delighted to have Bonamassa follow in Gallagher’s footsteps.
“Joe just took it off the wall, literally, and he served himself. He came in with probably the best attitude of anyone I ever met. He was just so cool, no acting like a celebrity, just very natural. He just sat down in the corner and plugged the guitar into the amp and started jamming.”
Ms Crowley said Bonamassa soon afterwards told her “I’ll take that”.
Gallagher’s signature Fender Stratocaster guitar was auctioned by Bonham’s in London last year. Denis Desmond’s Live Nation Gaiety Productions bought the guitar for a little over €1 million, saying it would donate it to the National Museum of Ireland.
