Fashioning the “People’s Guitarist”: The Mythologization of Rory Gallagher in the International Music Press

O'Hagan, Lauren Alex (2022). Fashioning the “People’s Guitarist”: The Mythologization of Rory Gallagher in the International Music Press. Rock Music Studies, 9(2) pp. 174–198.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19401159.2022.2048988

Abstract

This paper traces how the international music press used the clothing and appearance of the Irish blues/rock musician Rory Gallagher to mythologize him as the “People’s Guitarist.” I explore how this image was constructed and developed over time, as well as Gallagher’s own response to this mythologization and how it has consolidated since his death in 1995. I argue that Gallagher’s unwillingness to compromise his integrity and shift his music or clothing to fit changing trends made him an anomaly in an image-conscious music industry. Thus, his appearance became an easy target for the music press who focused overwhelmingly on his clothing in interviews and articles. This focus unfairly drew attention away from his music and downplayed the important contribution he made to the world of blues and rock.

Viewing alternatives

Look up in Google Scholar

Download history

Metrics

Public Attention

Altmetrics from Altmetric

Number of Citations

Citations from Dimensions

Item Actions

Export

About

  • Item ORO ID
  • 84865
  • Item Type
  • Journal Item
  • ISSN
  • 1940-1167
  • Keywords
  • Rory Gallagher; music press; mythologization; clothing; lumberjack shirt; jeans
  • Academic Unit or School
  • Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS)
  • Copyright Holders
  • © 2022 Lauren Alex O'Hagan
  • Depositing User
  • Lauren Alex O'Hagan
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)

Recommendations