Just got home from seeing John Hammond play.  Rory always spoke so highly of John over the years. For those who aren't  familiar, John is a singer, a guitar  and harmonica player who does mostly blues  based tunes. None of Rory's excitement, but it was easy to see how Rory would have respected John's approach. The show was at a small coffee house type of place that we've been to  numerous times. A nice cozy setting for this kind of show.

Before the show I had to chance to meet John. I introduced myself and Barbara. I told him I was a huge Rory Gallagher fan and had the website (giving him RoryON!! card). His eyes lit up and he said 'what a great guy". I asked if he knew Rory well and he said he did. I mentioned that many times Rory voiced his respect for him in the articles I have posted on RoryON!! Then he volunteered a Rory story. As you might imagine, these ears are always ready for that and now it was my face that lit up.

 It went something like this............
 ~ We were in New York and Eric Clapton gave Rory my number. He was looking for a certain guitar and asked if I had any idea where to find one. I took him to a shop on 11th street in The Bowery. On the second floor, we found  exactly what Rory was looking for. We took it downstairs and I took control.....I was going to make sure we got a good deal. I told the old lady that we found this old guitar upstairs and wondered what she wanted for it.  She looked at it, and then at us, and said "$500".

WELL, that stopped me in my tracks....some deal I was getting Rory!!  Rory moved  me aside and began to speak to her with that beautiful, thick Irish accent that could melt anyone's heart........the old lady sold the guitar to Rory for $50~

We all got a little laugh, I told John I guess you could say Rory sent me and that we were really looking forward to the show. He didn't remember what guitar it was and I didn't get a chance to ask what year that was. I'm  guessing it could have been in 1969 when Taste opened for Blind Faith....that would have had Rory and Eric in the same place geographically. (LOL I'll leave that line alone).

It was a nice show of acoustic, slide, resonator playing , singing and harmonica. I have no idea if my Rory conversation influenced the show, but he did his version of Walkin' Blues, Early in the Morning and Pistol Slapper Blues as the encore. We left The Point with smiles and a nice story. Tomorrow night we'll see Bob Dylan in a much bigger venue....afraid we won't get close enough  to come home with any Rory stories from Bob.

roryfan
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I forwarded the story to Donal Gallagher to see what recollection he had of the story......here is his reply

 Hi John
 Sorry, this reply is overdue. I believe the guitar to be Rory's brown National dobro... (circa) 1931, bought when Rory met John on his first 'rory' tour in Autumn '71.
                                          Kind regards
                                          Donal