When the call came that Phil Lynott had died, Thin Lizzy fans everywhere went into shock, devastated at the news. ‘Phil Lynott’ and ‘dead’ were words that one could not possibly imagine being put together. The writing had been on the wall for some years, but no-one – not fans, friends, band, management, record companies – could believe that he had actually succumbed to the inevitable.
It was common knowledge that Phil’s post-Thin Lizzy career had gone off the rails and that his dependence on drugs – loads of them – was not helping. His band Grand Slam had ground to a stuttering halt before breaking up, his marriage was in trouble and his personal life was being openly examined, many times in the courts. This all contributed to putting him in a very bad place, although news of a solo deal brought some hope.
