Phil Lynott

Along with Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen, Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott was one of the first to merge poetry with rock music. Born Philip Parris Lynott in 1949 (his father was Brazilian and his mother Irish), he was raised mostly by his grandmother, Sarah. After discovering rock & roll as a teen, Lynott began singing in his first band, the Black Eagles. It was around this time he met future Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey. As the '60s wore on, landmark artists Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix began helping shape the sound of his next band. Thin Lizzy was o...