Celebrated rock guitarist and former Thin Lizzy star Gary Moore was found dead in a Spanish hotel room Sunday, the band's manager confirmed. Moore, 58, started out in Irish band Skid Row before being drafted into Thin Lizzy by frontman Phil Lynott to replace the outgoing Eric Bell.
"I still can't believe it," Bell told the BBC. "He was so robust, he wasn't a rock casualty, he was a healthy guy. "He was a superb player and a dedicated musician."
Belfast-born Moore started learning the guitar at eight years old, and went on to forge a successful solo career in between his two stints in Thin Lizzy, collaborating with George Harrison, the Beach Boys and Ozzy Osbourne.
Original Lizzy founding member Brian Downey paid tribute to his bandmate. "I am in total shock," he said. "He will always be in my thoughts and prayers and I just can't believe he is gone."