Rory Gallagher

Even with a career cut short by illness and a premature death, Rory Gallagher left his mark in the blues and rock worlds. His hard-charging, intensely rhythmic playing style on his 1961 Stratocaster still casts a long shadow over rock & roll: Queen's Brian May imitated not only his playing but his gear early on, and Eric Clapton said it was Gallagher who got him "back into the blues." Gallagher racked up a handful of semi-hit singles ("Laundromat," "I Walk on Hot Coals," "Shadow Play," "Philby"), and issued a slew of acclaimed albums, including 1971's Deuce and the remarkable Irish Tour '74. Following his accidental death on an operating table in 1995, Gallagher continued to win over new fans and influence artists of many stripes.