Boomtown Rats lead guitarist Garry Roberts has died aged 72
9 November 2022, 19:57 | Updated: 9 November 2022, 20:10
Boomtown Rats lead guitarist Garry Roberts has died aged 72.
In a statement this evening the band announced: “It is with a very heavy heart that members of The Boomtown Rats announce the death this morning of Garry Roberts, their old friend and great guitarist.
“The remaining members of the band, Pete, Bob and Simon, Darren and Al extend their deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
“On a clear spring evening in 1975, in a pub in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin Garry became THE founding member of what turned out to be the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band, driven largely by that sound of his – a storm of massive considered noise that punched out from his over-taxed amplifiers and which animated not just the rest of the group but audiences he played to around the world.
“For fans he was ‘The Legend’ – and he was.
“For us he was Gazzer, the guy who summed up the sense of who The Rats are.
“We have known Garry since we were children and so we feel strangely adrift without him tonight.
“Safe travels Gaz. Thanks for everything mate.”
