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The American Locomotive Company, often shortened to ALCO or Alco, was a builder of railroad locomotives in the United States.

Early history[link]

The company was created in 1901 from the merger of several smaller locomotive manufacturers:^[1]

• Brooks Locomotive Works in Dunkirk, New York
• Cooke Locomotive and Machine Works in Paterson, New Jersey
• Dickson Manufacturing Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania
• Manchester Locomotive Works in Manchester, New Hampshire
• Pittsburgh Locomotive and Car Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island Locomotive Works in Providence, Rhode Island
• Richmond Locomotive Works in Richmond, Virginia
• Schenectady Locomotive Works in Schenectady, New York

The new company was headquartered in Schenectady and eventually closed all the other locomotive manufacturing plants, except for the main plants in Schenectady, New York, and Montreal, Quebec.^[1]

In 1904, control of the Locomotive and Machine Company of Montreal, Quebec, was acquired; this company was eventually renamed the Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW), and after over 50 years of closely working together, was to ultimately continue locomotive manufacturing operations after the U.S. parent company had ended production in 1969. The next year, 1905, Alco purchased Rogers Locomotive Works of Paterson, New Jersey, the second largest locomotive manufacturer in the U.S. behind Baldwin Locomotive Works.^[1]

Steam locomotives[link]

Milwaukee Road 261, a 1944 Alco 4-8-4 steam locomotive

Alco was the second-largest steam locomotive builder in the United States (after Baldwin), producing over 75,000 locomotives. Among these were a large number of well-known locomotives. Railroads that favored Alco products included the Delaware and Hudson Railway, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, the New York Central Railroad, the Union Pacific Railroad and the Southern Pacific. Alco was known for its steam locomotives of which the 4-6-4 Hudson and the 4-8-4 Niagara built for the New York Central and the 4-6-6-4 (Challenger) built for the Union Pacific were fine examples. Alco built many of the biggest locomotives ever constructed, including Union Pacific's Big Boy (4-8-8-4).

ALCO No 75214 Tr2 1319 at the Finnish Railway Museum

Alco also built the first steam locomotive in North America to use roller bearings: Timken 1111, a 4-8-4 commissioned in 1930 by Timken Roller Bearing Company was used for 100,000 miles (160,000 km) on fifteen major United States railroads before it was purchased in 1933 by the Northern Pacific Railway. (The Northern Pacific renumbered the Four Aces to No. 2626 and ran it on the North Coast Limited, as well as its pool trains between Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, and excursions, through 1957.)

Narrow gauge ALCO locomotive built for the military service behind the trenches of World War I

During World War II, Alco produced many 2-10-0 Decapods for the USSR. Many of these were undelivered at the end of the war, and ten of these were sold to Finland in 1947. One, Alco builder's No. 75214, is preserved at the Finnish Railway Museum.^[2]

Though the dual-service 4-8-4 steam locomotive had shown great promise, 1948 saw the last steam locomotives erected in Schenectady. These were the seven A-2a class 9400-series Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad 2-8-4 "Berkshires." Their tenders, however had to be subcontracted to Lima Locomotive Works, as Alco's tender shop had been closed, and the building converted to diesel locomotive manufacture.^[3]

Joseph Burroughs Ennis (1879–1955) was a senior vice president between 1917 and 1947 and was responsible for the design of many of the locomotives manufactured.

Alco automobiles[link]

The company diversified into the automobile business in 1906, producing French Berliet designs under license. Production was located at ALCO's Rhode Island Locomotive Works in Providence, Rhode Island. Two years later, the Berliet license was abandoned, and the company began to produce its own designs instead. Alco cars won the Vanderbilt Cup in both 1909 and 1910 and also competed in the Indianapolis 500 in 1911, but they had less success in sales, abandoning automobile manufacture in 1913. The Alco automobile story is chiefly notable for starting the automobile career of Walter P. Chrysler, the plant manager, who left for Buick in 1911 and subsequently founded the Chrysler Corporation in 1925.

• 

  American Locomotive Automobile Company - Berliet - 1906.

• 

  An Alco winning the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup.

• 

  1912 ALCO

Diesel-electric locomotives[link]

For a list of Alco diesel locomotive models, see List of ALCO diesel locomotives.

Although it was strongly committed to the steam locomotive, Alco produced the first commercially successful diesel-electric locomotive in 1924 in a consortium with General Electric (electrical equipment) and Ingersoll-Rand (diesel engine). This locomotive was sold to the Central Railroad of New Jersey, and subsequent locomotives were built for a number of railroads including the Long Island Rail Road and the Chicago and North Western Railway.

An Alco S-1 diesel switcher on the job at the MidContinent Railway Museum, North Freedom, WI.

The company bought an engine manufacturer, McIntosh & Seymour Diesel Engine Company, in 1929 and henceforth produced its own diesel engines, although electrical equipment was always from GE. Alco was in the 1930s the pre-eminent diesel locomotive builder in the United States, but the General Motors Electro-Motive Division took over that position with aggressive marketing, a ready supply of development capital from its parent company, and the intervention of the war years. During that troubled time, Alco was allocated the construction of diesel switching locomotives, a handful of ALCO DL-109 dual-service engines and its proven steam designs, whereas EMD was allocated the construction of mainline road freight diesels (the production of straight passenger-service engines was prohibited by the War Production Board). This was because Alco's revolutionary RS-1 roadswitcher was selected by the U.S. Army for a vital task. The Kriegsmarine's capital ships, led by the Tirpitz, and the Luftwaffe were threatening Allied shipping to the Soviet Union at the port of Murmansk from bases in Norway. This was, at the time, the Soviet lifeline. Thanks to successes in Africa, the U.S. was able to rehabilitate the Trans-Iranian Railway and extend it to the USSR, and the power they chose for it was the RSD-1, a six-axle, six traction motor variant of the light Alco. Not only was the company prevented from selling them to mainline U.S. railroads, the thirteen RS-1s that had already been built were commandeered for Iranian duty and converted to RSD-1.^[3] This gave EMD a lead in the market that could not be overcome. Also a factor was that Alco's diesel locomotives were competing with its own steam locomotive products, while EMD had no such overlap. In 1940, Alco and GE entered into a partnership to build diesels under the name Alco-GE, an arrangement that lasted until 1953.

By 1948, Alco possessed 40% of the diesel locomotive market. PA and FA-type road units, as well as the ubiquitous S series (660 and 1000 horsepower) switchers and RS series (1000, 1500, and 1600 horsepower) road switchers represented Alco well in those years of motive power transition. Much of their success in this period can be tied to their pioneering RS locomotives, representing the first modern road-switcher, a configuration which has long outlasted Alco. General Electric was represented in the electrical gear of every locomotive produced by Alco. The complete conversion to diesels, unfortunately, did not mean that Alco was to maintain this production standing.

Nevertheless, the company held the number two position in the market until General Electric, dissatisfied with the results of its partnership with Alco, entered the domestic road diesel locomotive market itself in 1956. GE quickly took the number two position from Alco, and eventually eclipsed GM-EMD in overall production. Despite continual innovation in its designs (the first AC/DC transmission among others), Alco gradually succumbed to its competition, in which its former ally, General Electric, was becoming an important element. A new line of "Century" locomotives including the C630 (the first AC/DC transmission), the C430 and the C636, the first 3,600 horsepower (2.7 MW) locomotive, failed to keep the enterprise going. Third place in the market proved to be an impossible position; Alco products had neither the market position or reputation for reliability of GM-EMD's products nor the financing muscle and customer support of GE, and profits were not forthcoming. Alco gradually ceased locomotive production, shipping its last two locomotives, a pair of T-6 switchers to the Newburgh and South Shore Railroad (#1016 and #1017) in January 1969.^[3] Alco closed its Schenectady locomotive plant later that year, and sold its designs to the Montreal Locomotive Works in Canada.

Diversification[link]

Although its fling with automobiles was ultimately unsuccessful, Alco diversified into other areas with greater success. During World War II, Alco built munitions for the war effort, in addition to locomotive production; this continued throughout the Korean War. After the Korean War, Alco entered the oil production equipment and nuclear power plant markets, the latter also starting the company's involvement in the heat exchanger business.

In 1955, the company was renamed Alco Products, Inc. because locomotives were no longer its predominant product.

Purchase and division[link]

The company was purchased in 1964 by the Worthington Corporation, which merged with the Studebaker corporation in 1967 to form Studebaker-Worthington, Inc. (SWI), Alco remaining a wholly owned subsidiary. Former divisions of Alco became semi-independent subsidiaries in 1968.

After the termination of locomotive production in 1969, the locomotive designs (but not the engine development rights) were transferred to the Montreal Locomotive Works, who continued their manufacture. The diesel engine business was sold to White Motor Corporation in 1970, who formed them into White Industrial Power. In 1977 White Industrial Power was sold to the British The General Electric Company plc (GEC) who renamed the unit Alco Power, Inc. The business was subsequently sold to the Fairbanks-Morse corporation, who continue to manufacture Alco-designed engines in addition to their own design.

The heat exchanger business continued as Alco Products, Inc. for a time. At some later point, some of the heat exchanger products were manufactured by the Alco Products Division of Smithco Engineering, Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Smithco). In January, 1983, certain assets of the Alco Products Division of Smithco, namely double-pipe and hairpin-type heat exchanger products sold under the "Alco Twin" name, mark and style were sold in an asset sale by Smithco to Bos-Hatten, Inc., a subsidiary of Nitram Energy, Inc. (Nitram). Following the sale of these assets Smithco remained in business, manufacturing other heat exchange products. In 1985, the assets acquired from Smithco were assigned by Bos-Hatten, Inc. to its parent, Nitram. Nitram manufactures "Alco Twin" double-pipe and hairpin-type heat exchangers through Nitram's unincorporated Alco Products Division.

Epilogue[link]

ALCO 18-251 engine used as a backup generator at a wastewater plant in Montreal.

After the closure of Alco's Schenectady works, locomotives to Alco designs continued to be manufactured in Canada by Montreal Locomotive Works, and in Australia by A. E. Goodwin. In addition, Alco-derived locomotives form the major chunk of diesel power on the Indian Railways. Many thousands of locomotives with Alco lineage are in regular mainline use everywhere in India and around 100 new locos are added every year.

The ALCO 251 diesel engine is still manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse of Beloit, Wisconsin, a company which also manufactured diesel locomotives. Additionally, ALCO diesel engines are used to power the NASA Crawler Transporter.^[4]

Most of these locomotives are built by the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), located at Varanasi, India. The Diesel Loco Modernisation Works (DMW) at Patiala, India, do mid-life rebuilding and upgrading the power of these locomotives, typically the 2,600 horsepower (1.94 MW) WDM-2 to 3,100 horsepower (2.31 MW). See also: Indian locomotives.

Alco DL537 metre gauge locomotive of the Hellenic Railways Organisation at Corinth Old Railway Station, Greece.

A number of Alco and MLW diesel-electric locomotives (models DL500C, DL532B, DL537, DL543, MX627 and MX636) are in daily use hauling freight trains of the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) in Greece. The oldest of them (class A.201, DL532B) were delivered to the former Hellenic State Railways (SEK) in 1962. In addition to a variety of standard gauge locomotives, the fleet includes 11 metre gauge Alco locomotives, mainly used for departmental trains in the Peloponnese network. The MX627 and MX636 locomotives have been extensively rebuilt at Piraeus Central Factory of OSE. The remaining Alco locomotives are also being rebuilt, starting with models DL532B and DL537.

Alco and MLW locomotives still work on many regional and tourist railroads across the United States and Canada, including the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville Railroad family of lines based in Lakeville, New York, and the Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad in Middletown, PA. The M&H owns one of the last true ALCO switchers ever built, #1016. The 1016 is a T-6 type switcher engine. This and ALCO sister 151 (ex Western Maryland S-6) still see daily service in Middletown.

ALCO-Cooke 2-8-0 #18, built in 1920, survives in passenger service on the Arcade & Attica Railroad in Arcade NY. It returned to service in May 2009 after a six-year overhaul to bring it into compliance with the FRA's new steam locomotive regulations.

Alco RSD-16 in Línea San Martín railway, Argentina.

Some Alcos survive on Australian networks and in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Another fleet of Alco Bombardier locomotives run in rugged terrain on the Sri Lanka railway network. Argentina also has a healthy fleet of Alcos DL540 running commuter and cargo trains.

The Glenbrook Vintage Railway in the Franklin District, south of Auckland, New Zealand, has a 2-4-4-2 articulated compound mallet, built by ALCO in 1912. Only four mallets with this wheel arrangement were ever built; the other three by Baldwin. This unique loco is currently out of service awaiting overhaul.

See also[link]

• The pony truck affair
• List of ALCO diesel locomotives

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: ALCO locomotives

• The Alco Racers (VanderbiltCupRaces.com)
• Preserved locomotives by builder

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (December 2007)

Jim Breuer (born June 21, 1967) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and radio host. He is most noted for his time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and starring in the 1998 cult "stoner comedy" Half Baked, alongside Dave Chappelle.

Early life[link]

Jim Breuer was born and raised in Valley Stream, New York.^[2]

Career[link]

Television career[link]

Prior to gaining national notoriety, Jim Breuer was a stand-out talent on the little-known Uptown Comedy Club weekly television show, based out of Harlem, New York.^[3] Subsequently, Jim Breuer first rose to fame as a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 1998.^[4] On SNL, Breuer's characters included "Goat Boy" (who hosted the fictional MTV program "Hey, Remember the 80s?") and Glen Henderson, the elder brother to Chris Kattan's Todd Henderson/Azrael Abyss character in the "Goth Talk" skits. He has previously guest starred in Home Improvement. That appearance gave way to the short-lived sitcom Buddies. He was originally scheduled to have been the co-star alongside friend and co-worker Dave Chappelle, but was pulled from the role after filming the pilot.

Among his impersonations was that of actor Joe Pesci, who hosted his own talk show, often accompanied by Colin Quinn playing fellow actor Robert De Niro. In a 1997 episode of the program, both Pesci and De Niro made surprise appearances to "confront" Breuer.

Jim Breuer has also hosted several "Premium Blends" on Comedy Central as well as several appearances on other comedy shows.

Jim Breuer hosted the third season of the VH1 show Web Junk 20. The season began on November 17, 2006. He replaced Patrice O'Neal, who hosted the first two seasons of the show.

In 2002, Jim Breuer's first one-hour Comedy Central special, "Hardcore," premiered. The same year, he released a comedy album titled Smoke 'n' Breu.^[5]

On July 25, 2009, Jim Breuer's second one-hour Comedy Central special, "Let's Clear the Air," premiered and came in as one of the highest rated comedy specials in Comedy Central's history.^{[citation needed]}

Jim Breuer currently appears in Pizza Hut commercials, advertising the cheese crust-filled pizzas using the catch phrase, "Jackpot!"

Also, Breuer starred in the VH1 documentary "When Metallica Ruled the World" where he commented on the songs by Metallica through the years.

Radio career[link]

Breuer was a sit-in comedian on the Opie and Anthony Show for many years during their WNEW tenure. "Breuer Bits" were often played whenever the show was on hiatus.^{[citation needed]} With the XM/Sirius merger complete, Breuer returned to the Opie and Anthony Show for the first time in six years on August 8, 2008.^[6] He remains a frequent guest.

Breuer is the host of Fridays with Jim Breuer, (previously known as Breuer Unleashed) which can be heard each Friday afternoon from 4-6PM (EST) on the Sirius Satellite Radio channel "Raw Dog Comedy." He credits Joe Pesci with jump starting his career as he mentions in his comedy concert "Hardcore". One show, while Breuer was singing the classic Judas Priest song "Devil's Child," Rob Halford "The Metal God," singer of Judas Priest, entered the studio still with his coat on and sang with him.^[7]

He appeared on The Howard Stern Show on August 19, 2010 as Joe Pesci for the entirety of the show with the exception of the news.

Other work[link]

In 2008, Jim went on his first tour in 6 years known as the "Breuniversity Tour" where he toured over 20 colleges and comedy clubs across the country. The footage was used in his documentary More Than Me, as well as his 4 hour DVD "The Jim Breuer Road Journals," both of which will be released soon on DVD.

On October 5, 2010 he published a book called "I'm Not High (But I've Got a Lot of Crazy Stories about Life as a Goat Boy, a Dad, and a Spiritual Warrior)".^[8]

In January 2011, Jim launched a podcast called "The Podcast Masters" with fellow comedian Pete Correale.

On December 2011, Jim presented the Metallica's 30th Anniversary show.

Personal life[link]

He now lives in Chester Township, New Jersey with his wife and three daughters.^[9]

Filmography[link]

• Home Improvement (1995)
• Buddies (replaced after pilot) (1997)
• Half Baked (1998)
• Dick (1999)
• Titan A.E. (2000)
• Once in the Life (2000)
• One Eyed King (2001)
• American Dummy (2002)
• Crooked Lines (2003)
• Beer League (2006)
• Zookeeper (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jim's upcoming online TV Network
• Official Radio Show Website
• Jim Breuer at the Internet Movie Database
• Official MySpace Page
• Official YouTube Page
• Interview about 'More Than Me' documentary
• Review of 'More Than Me' documentary

Rory Gallagher
Gallagher, at the Manchester Apollo in 1982
Background information
Birth name	William Rory Gallagher
Also known as	Liam Rory Gallagher
Born	(1948-03-02)2 March 1948 Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland
Died	14 June 1995(1995-06-14) (aged 47) London, England
Genres	Blues, blues-rock, hard rock, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, jazz, folk, skiffle
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, bandleader, producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin, saxophone, sitar, harmonica, banjo, dulcimer, dobro
Years active	1963–1995
Labels	Polydor, Chrysalis, Buddah, Castle
Associated acts	Taste
Website	www.rorygallagher.com
Notable instruments
1961 Sunburst Fender Stratocaster

William Rory Gallagher,  /ˈrɔriː ˈɡæləhər/ GAL-ə-hər; 2 March 1948  – 14 June 1995,^[1][2] was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland,^[3] and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste during the late 1960s. A talented guitarist known for his charismatic performances and dedication to his craft, Gallagher's albums have sold in excess of 30 million copies worldwide.^[4][5] Gallagher received a liver transplant in 1995, but died of complications later that year in London, England at the age of 47.^[6]

Biography[link]

Gallagher was born in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal; his father, Daniel, was employed by the Irish Electricity Supply Board, who were constructing a hydro-electric power plant on the Erne River above the town. The family moved, first to Derry City, where his younger brother Dónal was born in 1949, and then to Cork, where the two brothers were raised, and where Rory attended the North Monastery School. Their father had played the accordion and sang with the Tir Chonaill Ceile Band whilst in Donegal; their mother Monica was a singer and acted with the Abbey Players in Ballyshannon. The Theatre in Ballyshannon where Monica once acted is now called the Rory Gallagher Theatre.

Both sons were musically inclined and encouraged by their parents: at age nine, Gallagher received his first guitar from them. He built on his burgeoning ability on ukelele in teaching himself to play the guitar and perform at minor functions. After winning a talent contest when he was twelve, Gallagher began performing in his adolescence with both his acoustic guitar, and an electric guitar he bought with his prize money. However, it was his purchase three years later of a 1961 Fender Stratocaster for £100 that became his primary instrument most associated with him for the span of his lifetime.^[7]

Gallagher was initially attracted to skiffle after hearing Lonnie Donegan on the radio. Donegan frequently covered blues and folk performers from the United States. He relied entirely on radio programs and television. Occasionally, the jazz programs from the BBC would play some blues numbers, and he slowly found some song books for guitar, where he found the names of the actual composers of blues pieces. While still in school, playing songs by Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, he discovered his greatest influence in Muddy Waters. Subsequently, Gallagher began experimenting with folk, blues, and rock music. Unable to find or afford record albums, Gallagher stayed up late to hear Radio Luxembourg and AFN where the radio brought him his only exposure to the actual songwriters and musicians whose music moved him most.^[8] Influences he discovered, and cited as he progressed, included Woody Guthrie, Big Bill Broonzy, and Lead Belly. Initially, Gallagher struck out after just an acoustic sound.^[7] Singing and later using a brace for his harmonica, Gallagher taught himself to play slide guitar. Further, throughout the next few years of his musical development, Gallagher began learning to play alto saxophone, bass, mandolin, banjo, and the coral sitar with varying degrees of proficiency.^[9] By his mid-teens, he began experimenting heavily with different blues styles.^[10]

Gallagher began playing after school with Irish showbands, while still a young teenager. In 1963,^[11] he joined one named Fontana, a sextet playing the popular hit songs of the day.^[12] The band toured Ireland and the United Kingdom, earning the money for the payments that were due on his Stratocaster guitar. Gallagher began to influence the band's repertoire, beginning its transition from popular music, skirting along some of Chuck Berry's songs and by 1965, he had successfully molded Fontana into "The Impact", with a change in their lineup into an R&B group that played gigs in Ireland and Spain until disbanding in London.^[9] Gallagher left with the bassist and drummer to perform as a trio in Hamburg, Germany.^[11] In 1966, Gallagher returned to Ireland and, experimenting with other musicians back home in Cork, decided to form his own band.

Taste[link]

Gallagher on acoustic guitar, March 1976, Breda, Netherlands

Having completed a musical apprenticeship in the showbands, and influenced by the increasing popularity of beat groups during the early 1960s, Gallagher formed "The Taste", which was later renamed simply, "Taste", a blues rock and R&B power trio, in 1966.^[13] Initially, the band was composed of Gallagher and two Cork musicians, Norman Damery and Eric Kitteringham, however, by 1968, they were replaced with two musicians from Belfast, featuring Gallagher on guitar and vocals, drummer John Wilson, and bassist Richard McCracken.^[13] Performing extensively in the United Kingdom, the group played regularly at the Marquee Club, supporting both Cream at their Royal Albert Hall farewell concert, and the blues supergroup Blind Faith on a tour of North America. Managed by Eddie Kennedy, the trio released the albums Taste and On The Boards, and two live recordings, Live Taste and Live at the Isle of Wight.^[13] The latter appeared long after the band's break-up, which occurred shortly after their appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.^[14]

Solo career[link]

After the break-up of Taste, Gallagher toured under his own name, hiring former Deep Joy bass player Gerry McAvoy to play on Gallagher's self-titled debut album, Rory Gallagher.^[15] It was the beginning of a twenty-year musical relationship between Gallagher and McAvoy; the other band member was drummer Wilgar Campbell.^[13] The 1970s were Gallagher's most prolific period. He produced ten albums in that decade, including two live albums, Live in Europe and Irish Tour '74. November 1971 saw the release of his album, Deuce.^[15] In the same year he was voted Melody Maker's International Top Musician of the Year, ahead of Eric Clapton.^[16] However, despite a number of his albums from this period reaching the UK Albums Chart, Gallagher did not attain major star status.^[13]

Rory Gallagher, playing in Utrecht, Netherlands, 1987

Gallagher played and recorded what he said was "in me all the time, and not just something I turn on ...". Though he sold over thirty million albums worldwide, it was his marathon live performances that won him greatest acclaim.^[14] He is documented in the 1974 film Irish Tour '74, directed by Tony Palmer. During the heightened periods of political unrest in Ireland, as other artists were warned not to tour, Gallagher was resolute about touring Ireland at least once a year during his career, winning him the dedication of thousands of fans, and in the process, becoming a role model for other aspiring young Irish musicians. Gallagher himself admitted in several interviews that at first there were not any international Irish acts until Van Morrison, Gallagher, and later, Phil Lynott and Thin Lizzy grew popular during the 1970s. The line-up which included Rod de'Ath on drums and Lou Martin on keyboards, performed together between 1973 and 1978. However, he eventually dropped down to just bass, guitar and drums, and his act became a power trio. Other releases from that period include Against the Grain, Calling Card, Photo-Finish and Top Priority.^[15] Gerry McAvoy has stated that the Gallagher band performed several TV and radio shows across Europe, including Beat-Club in Bremen, Germany and the Old Grey Whistle Test.^[17] He recorded two Peel Sessions, both in February 1973 and containing the same tracks, but only the first was broadcast.^[18] Along with Little Feat and Roger McGuinn, Gallagher performed the first Rockpalast live concert at the Grugahalle, Essen, Germany in 1977.^[19]

Gallagher collaborated with Jerry Lee Lewis^[20] and Muddy Waters^[21] on their respective London Sessions in the mid 1970s. He played on Lonnie Donegan's final album.^[15] He was David Coverdale's second choice (after Jeff Beck) to replace Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple. Gallagher chose to perform in his own band.

In the 1980s he continued recording, producing Jinx, Defender, and Fresh Evidence. After Fresh Evidence, he embarked on a tour of the United States. In addition he played with Box of Frogs which was a band formed in 1983 by former members of The Yardbirds, who released their first album in 1984. Former Yardbirds guitarists Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page also guested on their first and second albums, respectively. Becoming obsessive over details and plagued by self-doubt, Gallagher nevertheless retained a loyal fanbase. During this period he stated "I agonize too much".^[13]

An album of unreleased studio tracks and a San Francisco 1979 concert will be released in June 2011.^{[dated info][22]}

Band lineup[link]

Rory Gallagher (guitar, vocals)

1970–1972: Gerry McAvoy (bass guitar), Wilgar Campbell (drums)

1972–1976: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Lou Martin (piano, keyboards), Rod de'Ath (drums)

1976–1981: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Ted McKenna (drums)

1981–1991: Gerry McAvoy (bass), Brendan O'Neil (drums) + frequent guest: Mark Feltham (harmonica)

1992–1994: David Levy (bass), Jim Levaton (keyboards), John Cooke (keyboards), Richard Newman (drums) + frequent guest: Mark Feltham (harmonica)

Guitars and equipment[link]

Gallagher's Stratocaster[link]

A life-size bronze sculpture in the shape of Gallagher's Stratocaster at Rory Gallagher Corner in Dublin's Temple Bar.

Gallagher was always associated with his well-worn sunburst 1961 Stratocaster (Serial Number 64351), which his brother Donal has officially retired.

It was reputedly the first in Ireland, and was ordered from Fender by Jim Connolly, a showband member performing with The Irish Showband. Connolly ordered a cherry red Stratocaster through Crowley's music shop in Cork in 1963. When Fender shipped a sunburst Stratocaster instead, it went on sale as a second-hand instrument, which Gallagher bought for just shy of £100 at Crowley's Music Store on Cork's McCurtain Street. Note: the shop was at 10 Merchants Quay at the time of purchase.

The guitar was extensively modified by Gallagher. The tuning pegs are odd (5 Sperzel pegs and one Gotoh), and all of these have been found to be replacements. Second, it is thought^{[citation needed]} that the nut has been replaced and interchanged a number of times. Third, the scratchplate was changed during Gallagher's time with Taste.

The pickups —none of which are original— were also changed. The final modification was that of the wiring: Gallagher disconnected the bottom tone pot and rewired it so he had just a master tone control along with the master volume control. He also installed a 5-way selector switch in place of the vintage 3-way one.

The most notable effect that the years of touring have had on the guitar is the almost complete removal of its original sunburst finish.^[23] Although the Strat was left abandoned in a rainy ditch for days after being stolen, this is not believed to have caused any of the effect. All of the wear was caused by Rory's playing, not misuse.

It also had a period of time of having a replacement neck, with the original neck bowing due to the amount of moisture it absorbed during continuous touring. The neck was taken off and left to settle, and was eventually reunited with the Strat after returning to its correct shape. Other quirks include a 'hump' in the scratch plate which moves the neck pickup closer to the neck on the bass side, and a replacement of all of the pickups, though this replacement was due to damage rather than the perception of a tonal inadequacy.

One final point of interest is that one of the clay double-dot inlays at the 12th fret fell out and was replaced with a plastic one, which is why it's whiter than the other clay inlays.

On Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd of October 2011, Rory's brother Donal brought the guitar out of retirement in order to allow Joe Bonamassa to perform with it on his two nights at the London Hammersmith Apollo. Joe opened both night's performances with his rendition of Cradle Rock using Rory's Stratocaster. Photos and video of the performance can be seen on the official Rory Gallagher website.^[24]

Amplifiers and effects[link]

Gallagher playing a resonator guitar, during his 1978/79 Tour, in The National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland

Gallagher used various makes and models of amplifiers during his career. In general, however, he preferred smaller 'combo' amplifiers to the larger, more powerful 'stacks' popular with rock and hard rock guitarists. To make up for the relative lack of power on stage, he would often link several different combo amps together.

When Gallagher was with Taste, he used a single Vox AC30 with a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster plugged into the 'normal' input. Examples of this sound can be heard on the Taste albums, as well as the album Live in Europe. Brian May, of the band Queen, has admitted in interviews that as a young man, he was inspired to use a Vox AC30 and treble booster setup after meeting Gallagher and asking him how he got his sound. The British company, Flynn Amps, now makes a Rory Gallagher Signature Hawk Treble Booster pedal based on Gallagher's original unit. Gallagher also used Ibanez Tube Screamers, an MXR Dyna Comp, and various Boss effects, often using a Flanger and Octaver.

In the early to mid 1970s, Gallagher began to use Fender amplifiers in conjunction with a Hawk booster, most notably a Bassman and a Twin, both 1950s vintage. An example of this sound can be heard on the Irish Tour '74 album. He also had a Fender Concert amplifier.

In the mid to late 1970s, when Gallagher was moving towards a hard rock sound, he experimented with Ampeg VT40 and VT22 amps. He also began using Marshall combos. During this period and beyond, Gallagher used different combinations of amps on stage to achieve more power and to blend the tonal characteristics of different amps including Orange amplification.

Not that well known is his use of various German amplifiers. He Used Stramp 2100a amps, which can be seen in his appearances on the German Beat Club program. Another company that hand built amplifiers for Gallagher was PCL Vintage Amp. The company is located in St. Wendel in the Saarland and they still produce high quality audio and guitar equipment.^[25]

Death[link]

According to sources close to Rory, including his brother Donal, Rory had a great fear of flying. He also had a great deal of trust in doctors and medicine. Combinations of prescription medication and alcohol use resulted in severe liver damage.^[26] Despite this he continued touring. By the time of his final performance on 10 January 1995 in the Netherlands, he was visibly sick. His cause of death was complications from a liver transplant, that became necessary and was nearly successful; his health, however, quickly worsened due to a Staphylococcus (MRSA) infection, and he died in London on 14 June 1995.^[15] He was unmarried and had no children.

Gallagher was buried in St Oliver's Cemetery, on the Clash Road just outside Ballincollig near Cork City, Ireland. His headstone is a replica of an award he received in 1972 for International Guitarist of the Year.

Legacy[link]

In 2003, Wheels Within Wheels, a collection of acoustic tracks, was released posthumously by Gallagher's brother Donal Gallagher. Collaborators on this album included Bert Jansch, Martin Carthy, The Dubliners and Lonnie Donegan.

Many modern day musicians, including The Edge from U2, Slash^[27] of Guns N' Roses, Johnny Marr of the Smiths,^[28] Davy Knowles,^[29] Janick Gers of Iron Maiden,^[30] Glenn Tipton of Judas Priest,^[31] Vivian Campbell of Def Leppard,^[32] Gary Moore^[33] and Joe Bonamassa,^[34][35] cite Gallagher as an inspiration in their formative musical years.

Brian May, lead guitarist of Queen, relates: "so these couple of kids come up, who's me and my mate, and say 'How do you get your sound Mr. Gallagher?' and he sits and tells us. So I owe Rory Gallagher my sound."^[36] In 2010, Gallagher was ranked #42 on Gibson.com’s List of their Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.^[37] Gallagher was also listed on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, ranked at 57th place.^[38]

Tributes[link]

Headstone at St Oliver's Cemetery, Ballincollig, County Cork, Ireland

• On 25 October 1997 a tribute sculpture to Gallagher was unveiled in the newly renamed Rory Gallagher Place (formerly St. Paul's St. Square) in his hometown of Cork. The sculptor was a childhood friend of Gallagher, Geraldine Creedon.^[39] The two grew up together in the McCurtain Street area of the city. The band who played at the unveiling of the statue was the Dave McHugh band, who formed Ireland's first tribute to Gallagher, 'Aftertaste' in 1995.
• There is a Rory Gallagher Corner at Meeting House Square in Temple Bar, Dublin, where a life-size bronze statue in the shape of his Stratocaster has been installed. Some of those who attended the unveiling include The Edge of U2 and the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
• In 2004 the Rory Gallagher Music Library was opened in Cork.^[40]
• In 2006 a plaque was unveiled at the Ulster Hall in Belfast.^[41][42]
• A street in Ris-Orangis, a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, was renamed Rue Rory Gallagher.^[43]
• New York City-based Celtic rock band Black 47 paid tribute to Rory Gallagher on their 1996 major-label release, "Green Suede Shoes." The track titled "Rory" features vocalist/guitarist Larry Kirwan delivering a passionate and heart-felt tribute to Rory Gallagher's talent and unrealized stardom. The song lauds his musical prowess and potential greatness

"Hey Rory, you're off to London

Playing with a band called Taste ...

On your night you could even leave Hendrix in the dust",

the awe that a young Kirwan felt towards Gallagher

"Hero came back to Dublin

... long hair flyin'

Blue denims dripping with sweat

Bolts of lightenin' in your fingers

Pride of bein' the best"

and expressing dismay at the loss of such a talent.^[44][45]

• Flynn Amps manufacture a Rory Gallagher signature Hawk pedal, cloned from Gallagher's 1970s pedal.^[46]
• On 2 June 2010, a life-sized bronze statue of Gallagher was unveiled in the town centre of Ballyshannon.^[47] An award-winning^[48] annual Blues festival is held in his honour at the same location.

Discography[link]

• Rory Gallagher – 1971 (BPI: 100,000)
• Deuce – 1971 (BPI: 100,000)
• Blueprint – 1973 (BPI: 100,000)
• Tattoo – 1973 (BPI: 100,000)
• Irish Tour '74 – 1974
• Against the Grain – 1975 (BPI: 100,000) Rolling Stone review
• Calling Card – 1976 (BPI: 60,000) Rolling Stone review
• Photo-Finish – 1978 (BPI: 60,000)
• Top Priority – 1979 (BPI: 60,000)
• Jinx – 1982 (BPI: 60,000)
• Defender – 1987 (BPI: 60,000)
• Fresh Evidence – 1990 (BPI: 60,000)^[15]
• Wheels Within Wheels – 2003
• Notes from San Francisco – 2011 (an unreleased studio album from 1978, packaged with a live album from 1979)

See also[link]

• List of people on stamps of Ireland
• List of blues musicians

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rory Gallagher

• Official Rory Gallagher website
• Rory Gallagher at the Open Directory Project

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rory Gallagher

Gord Bamford (born April 17, 1976) is a Canadian country music singer.^[1] He has released five studio albums. Nine of his songs have charted on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, which began publication in 2007.

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Bamford was born in Traralgon, Victoria, Australia. When Bamford was 5 years old, he moved with his mother, Marilyn, from Australia to Lacombe, Alberta after his parents' divorce.^[2] A singer who toured with an Australian country band, Bamford's mother encouraged him to pursue a career in music.^[2] In 1995, Bamford entered and won the Nornet Radio Network's "Search for the Stars."^[1] With Rob Bartlett from Sundae Sound producing, Bamford went to Calgary to record his debut single, "Forever Starts Today," written by Dean McTaggart.^[1][2] The song received a positive response from Canadian country radio the following year.

[edit] 2000-2002: God's Green Earth and hiatus

In January 2001, Bamford released his debut album, God's Green Earth, on his own GWB Records. The album was produced by Bart McKay at Sound Edge Productions in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.^[2] Bamford wrote two songs on the album.^[1] Five songs were released from the project - "God's Green Earth," "24 x 24," "Where a Cowboy Likes to Roam," "Man of the House" and "Classic Country Song." The album didn't do as well as Bamford had expected and left the business discouraged.^[3]

[edit] 2003-2006: Life Is Good and nominations

In 2003, Bamford began spending time in Nashville, Tennessee writing with Steve Fox, Tim Taylor, and Byron Hill, who went on to co-produce his second album.^[1] The album, Life Is Good, was released on October 19, 2004.^[4] Bamford wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 11 songs on the project.^[2] Six singles were released from the album, including the top 20 singles "Heroes," "My Heart's a Genius," "All About Her," "Life Is Good" and "I Would for You." A music video was shot for "All About Her," and reached #8 on CMT Canada's Chevy Top 20.

Over the next few years, Bamford opened shows for Tim McGraw, Kenny Rogers, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Don Williams and Terri Clark.^[1] In both 2005 and 2006, he was nominated at the Canadian Country Music Awards for Independent Male Vocalist of the Year, Independent Song of the Year, and the Chevy Trucks Rising Star Award.^[5] On June 4, 2007, Bamford was one of only two Canadian artists invited to perform at the Global Artist Party at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville.^[5]

[edit] 2007-2009: Honkytonks and Heartaches

Bamford's third album, Honkytonks and Heartaches, produced by Nashville producer Byron Hill, was released on September 25, 2007.^[5] The first single, "Blame It On That Red Dress," was Gord's first top 10 hit on the Canadian country singles chart and the music video, directed by award-winning director Stephano Barberis, reached #1 on CMT Canada's Chevy Top 20 for one week.

[edit] 2010-2011: Day Job

Gord Bamford's fourth album, Day Job, was released in April 2010. Four singles were released from the album: "Day Job", "Put Some Alcohol On It", "My Daughter's Father" and "Hank Williams Lonesome".

[edit] 2012-present: Is It Friday Yet?

Bamford's fifth album, Is It Friday Yet?, was released in March 2012.

Personal life[link]

On August 30, 2004, Gord and his wife Kendra welcomed a boy, Nash David weighing in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces. They had a daughter, Paisley in 2007 and on August 3, 2009, they welcomed another daughter, Memphis Quinn.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Singles[link]

• ^ACurrent single.

Guest singles[link]

Music videos[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Gord Bamford Official Site
• Gord Bamford MySpace

Jamie Foxx
Foxx promoting Stealth in July 2005
Birth name	Eric Marlon Bishop
Born	(1967-12-13) December 13, 1967 (age 44) Terrell, Texas, United States
Medium	Stand up, Film, Television, Radio, Music
Nationality	American
Years active	1989–present
Genres	Musical comedy, Political satire, Observational comedy, Character comedy, Black comedy (as actor) R&B, hip hop, soul, pop(as singer and rapper)
Subject(s)	Race relations, Racism, African-American culture, Celebrities, Human sexuality, American politics, Current events, Self-deprecation
Influences	Redd Foxx[1]
Notable works and roles	Law Abiding Citizen Jamie King on The Jamie Foxx Show Ray Charles in Ray Nico in Rio
Website	Official site

Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, rapper, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host who began playing the piano when he was five years old. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a musical/comedy. He is also a Grammy Award winning musician, producing three albums which have charted highly on the Billboard 200: Unpredictable, which topped the chart, Best Night of My Life and Intuition.

Born in Terrell, Texas, Foxx was raised by his mother's adoptive parents. He performed in high school and was awarded with a scholarship to United States International University. In his twenties, Foxx began performing stand-up at comedy clubs, and eventually joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991; this exposure helped him land film roles and star in his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show. He released his debut album, Peep This, in 1994, but he did not gain significant musical success until 2004 when he was featured in Twista's song "Slow Jamz". Also in 2004, Foxx played critically acclaimed roles in the films Collateral and Ray. He released his second album, Unpredictable, in 2005, which was helped by his collaboration on Kanye West's number-one single "Gold Digger". His third album Intuition was released in 2008 and was anchored by the single "Blame It". Foxx released his fourth studio album, Best Night of My Life, in 2010.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Foxx was born as Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967, in Terrell, Texas.^[2] He is the son of Louise Annette Talley Dixon and Shaheed Abdulah. Foxx was abandoned seven months after birth, and was subsequently adopted and raised in Terrell by his mother's adoptive parents. Terrell was a racially segregated community at the time.^[3] Foxx had a strict Baptist upbringing^[4][5] and began piano lessons at the age of five by his grandmother's orders. As a teenager, he was a part-time pianist and choir leader in Terrell's New Hope Baptist Church.^[3]

Foxx attended Terrell High School, where he received top grades, played basketball and football as quarterback, and had an ambition to play for the Dallas Cowboys. He was the first player in the school's history to pass for more than 1,000 yards.^[3][6] He also sang in a band called Leather and Lace.^[3] After completing high school, Foxx received a scholarship to United States International University, where he studied classical music and composition.^[3][7] He has often acknowledged his grandmother's influence in his life as one of the greatest reasons for his success.^[4][8]

[edit] 1989-94: Stand-up career, acting debut, Peep This and legal issue

After accepting a girlfriend's dare, Foxx told jokes and at a comedy club's open mic night in 1989. When he found that comediennes were often called first to perform, he changed his name to Jamie Foxx, feeling that it was an ambiguous enough name to disallow any biases.^[1][3] He chose his surname as a tribute to comedian Redd Foxx.^[1] In addition his recurrent In Living Color character LaWanda shared names with Redd's friend and co-worker, LaWanda Page.

Foxx joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991 and subsequently played a recurring role in the comedy-drama sitcom Roc.^[9] From 1996 to 2001, Foxx starred in his own sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show, and made his film debut in the 1992 comedy Toys. His first dramatic role came in Oliver Stone's 1999 film Any Given Sunday, where he portrayed a hard-partying American football player.^[4] He was cast in the role in part because of his background as a football player.^[4] Following Any Given Sunday, Foxx was featured as taxi driver Max Durocher in the film Collateral alongside Tom Cruise, for which he received outstanding reviews and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.^[4] In 1994, Foxx released an album (on the Fox record label) entitled Peep This.

In April 2003, Foxx was involved in an incident with two police officers who were attempting to escort him and his sister out of Harrah's casino in New Orleans. Employees claimed they had failed to show identification upon entry. Originally charged with trespassing, disturbing the peace, battery on police officers and resisting arrest, Foxx pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace in exchange for the other charges being dropped, and was sentenced to a six month suspended jail term with two years probation and a $1,500 fine.^[10][11]

In 2003, Foxx made a cameo in Benzino's music video for "Would You", which features LisaRaye McCoy and Mario Winans.

[edit] 2004-06: Ray, Collateral, and Unpredictable

Foxx and Kanye West performing "Gold Digger"

His music career shifted into a higher gear when, in 2004, he was featured on rapper Twista's song, "Slow Jamz", which also featured Kanye West. The song reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, as well as #3 on the UK Singles chart. Foxx's second collaboration with Kanye West, "Gold Digger," in which he sang the "I Got a Woman" Ray Charles-influenced hook, went straight to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained there for 10 weeks. In 2005, Foxx was featured on the single "Georgia" by Atlanta rappers Ludacris and Field Mob. The song sampled Ray Charles' hit "Georgia on My Mind." He also had a beginning verse on Kanye's "Gold Digger."

His standout performance, however, was his portrayal of Ray Charles in the biopic Ray (2004), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor^[4] and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Foxx is the second male in history to receive two acting Oscar nominations in the same year for two different movies, Collateral and Ray. The only other male actor to achieve this was Al Pacino. In 2005, Foxx was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[12]