Cowboy Song: The Authorised Biography of Philip Lynott

· Hachette UK
4.9
9 reviews
Ebook
384
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

'The truest measure of the man we have thus far' - Mojo

'Affectionate, impeccably researched biography' - Mail on Sunday

'Head and shoulders above the usual rock hagiography' - Sunday Telegraph

The first biography to be written with the cooperation of the Lynott Estate, Cowboy Song is the definitive authorised account of the extraordinary life and career of Thin Lizzy guiding spirit, Philip Lynott.

Leading music writer Graeme Thomson explores the fascinating contradictions between Lynott's unbridled rock star excesses and the shy, sensitive 'orphan' raised in working class Dublin. The mixed-race child of a Catholic teenager and a Guyanese stowaway, Lynott rose above daunting obstacles and wounding abandonments to become Ireland's first rock star. Cowboy Song examines his key musical alliances as well as the unique blend of cultural influences which informed Lynott's writing, connecting Ireland's rich reserves of music, myth and poetry to hard rock, progressive folk, punk, soul and New Wave.

Published on the thirtieth anniversary of Lynott's death in January 1986, Thomson draws on scores of exclusive interviews with family, friends, band mates and collaborators. Cowboy Song is both the ultimate depiction of a multi-faceted rock icon, and an intimate portrait of a much-loved father, son and husband.

Ratings and reviews

4.9
9 reviews
John Hamilton
December 24, 2024
Phil Lynott my childhood hero. I read the book a few years ago. Absolutely brilliant read a very complex individual so talented and didn't reach his full potential. gone too early, before his time.
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Paul Stevenson
January 26, 2020
As a lifetime Thin Lizzy fan I've read many bios on Philip. This is probably the best. Graeme Thomson got great input from ex band members to come up with this great biography. Paul Stevenson, Drimnagh, Dublin.
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Craig Price
May 17, 2020
Excellent book about Philo
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About the author

Graeme Thomson is the author of several music books, including Under the Ivy: The Life & Music of Kate Bush, described by the Irish Times as 'the best music biography in perhaps the past decade'. His biography of George Harrison, Behind the Locked Door, was included in the Mail on Sunday's Best Books of 2013. One of the UK's leading music writers, his work has appeared in the Observer, New Statesman, the Guardian, Uncut, the Telegraph, GQ, MOJO and Rolling Stone.

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