Thin Lizzy

Formed in the late 1960s by Irish singer/songwriter/bassist Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy combined romanticized working-class themes with an addictive, twin-lead guitar attack. Lynott was the band's creative force and drew some of his inspiration from the words and work of masters Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Lynott, who is black, was hard to miss in the then all-white world of hard rock and filled much of his songwriting with a sense of alienation. From '71 to '83, Thin Lizzy released a long string of albums that grazed the lower orbits of rock stardom. Their hit single "The Boys Are Back in Town" put Thin Lizzy on the map, but the group disbanded in the early '80s as conflicts of interest ripped the thin fabric of band unity.