Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham has opened up about a recent health scare that has sidelined him from touring as he recuperates – and it very nearly killed him.
Speaking on a new podcast episode of Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz, the 74-year-old guitarist says he briefly died while on the operating table.
“I had a health issue scare about a year ago with a kidney that had to be removed,” he reveals (via Blabbermouth). “And I got sepsis from it. The second surgeon said I actually died on the operating table and all that.
“And I was, like, ‘Really, man? What the hell is all that about?’”
The news comes just after Robert Fripp told fans he had recently suffered a heart attack. Thankfully, like the King Crimson polymath, who has also been celebrating anniversary releases from his collaborations with Andy Summers, Gorham pulled through.
“I had a third operation, and he said, ‘Maybe you should take some time out, rehabilitate, and get your strength back and all that,’” he continues. “So that’s what I’m doing.”
The guitarist discusses his moonlighting as a painter, having just launched his second art collection. Additionally, it seems he isn’t able to play much, so painting is proving to be a much-needed respite.
“Right now, that kind of is the new thing for me,” he says. “I’m kind of enjoying this break from the music and going into this little bit of a different direction.” I mean, it’s still entertainment, but it’s just another side.”
Gorham, who was an integral part of the Irish band’s iconic twin=guitar sound, spent a portion of late 2024 promoting the 40th-anniversary reissue of “Jailbreak”, meaning he was likely recovering at that time. No one would have known, though as he was full of stories to tell.
Those tales included how “The Boys are Back in Town” didn’t originally feature the band’s now staple twin harmonies — and wasn’t considered a suitable single even after it did.
“It was just the basic chord pattern and Phil’s vocals,” he told Guitar Player. Next thing, the song “exploded all over America,” and saved the band from oblivion.
The California native moved to London in 1971, where he would soon meet Thin Lizzy mastermind Phil Lynott. After landing a place in the band, replacing the outgoing Eric Bell, he says he had to adapt his guitar playing to their Irish roots as he partnered up with Brian Robertson to forge the group’s dual-lead attack.
Finally, he’s regaled his best and worst moments with Guitar Player. The dreaded moment, he revealed, happened during his Thin Lizzy audition, and it’s seen him making a simple but necessary modification to every Gibson Les Paul he’s owned since.
After five albums, Brian Robertson would go on to form Wild Horses and later join Motörhead. For the next four records, Gorham would develop partnerships with Gary Moore on 1979’s “Black Rose: A Rock Legend”, Snowy White on “Chinatown”, and “Renegade” before harmonizing with the late John Sykes on Lizzy’s last album, “Thunder and Lightning”. That’s quite the dynasty.
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