Biography
Moore grew up on a road opposite Stormont, off the Upper Newtownards Road in east Belfast and started performing at a young age, having picked up a battered acoustic guitar at the age of eight. Moore got his first quality guitar at the age of 14, learning to play the right-handed instrument in the standard way despite being left-handed. Like so many others, Moore's early musical influences were artists such as Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Later, having seen Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in his home town of Belfast, his own style was developing into a blues-rock sound that would come to dominate his career.
Moore's greatest influence in the early days came from guitarist Peter Green, of Fleetwood Mac fame, who was a mentor to Moore when performing in Dublin. Green's continued influence on Moore was later repaid as a tribute to Green on his 1995 album Blues for Greeny, an album consisting entirely of Green compositions. On this tribute album Moore played Green's 1959 Les Paul standard guitar which Green had loaned to Moore after leaving Fleetwood Mac. Moore ultimately purchased the guitar, at Green's request, so that "it would have a good home".[1]
Moore has remained relatively unknown in the US, although his work has "brought substantial acclaim and commercial success in most other parts of the world – especially in Europe".[2] Moore throughout his career has been recognised as an influence by many guitarists including Randy Rhoads, John Sykes and Kirk Hammett.[3]
Over his long career, Moore has been anything but predictable in his style and genre, at times to the dismay and confusion of his fans and critics alike,[citation needed] ranging from an amalgam of rock, jazz, blues and country, to traditional electric blues, to hard rock, heavy metal and more. Although primarily recognized as a blues-rock artist, his variations and versatility are no more evidenced than by a glimpse at some of his collaborations including such diverse acts/artists as George Harrison, Trilok Gurtu, Dr. Strangely Strange, Colosseum II, Albert Collins, Jimmy Nail, Mo Foster, Ginger Baker, Jim Capaldi, Vicki Brown, Cozy Powell, The Beach Boys, Gary Husband, Ozzy Osbourne and Andrew Lloyd Webber.[4]
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