Died On This Date (August 17, 2012) Lou Martin / Played Keyboards For Rory Gallagher
themusicsover Lou Martin
August 12, 1949 – August 17, 2012
Lou Martin was an Irish keyboardist who is best remembered for his years playing with Rory Gallagher. Martin was just six years old when he began learning the piano, and when he was around 19, he formed his first band, Killing Floor. During the early ’70s, he left the group to play with Gallagher. He played with Gallagher both live and on record through the early ’90s. He can be heard on such albums as Blueprint, Tattoo, Defender, and Fresh Evidence. Away from Gallagher, Martin played with the likes of Screaming Lord Sutch, Chuck Berry, and Albert Collins. Having battled cancer and suffering a handful of strokes, Lou Martin passed away on August 17, 2012. He was 63.
Earl Gilliam was a pianist who, for over 60 years was a key figure of the Houston blues scene. A gifted self-taught pianist, it has been said that Gilliam could listen to a song two or three times and recreate it virtually note by note. Over the years, Gilliam played with such luminaries as 
Albert Collins was an electric blues guitarist so great, that he was awarded not one, but three nicknames – the Iceman, the Master of the Telecaster, and the Razor Blade. Born in a small Texas town mid-way between Dallas and Houston, Collins took an early shine to the music he heard around him. When he was 7, he and his family moved to Houston, and it was there that he eventually began making a name for himself by playing a style that was equal parts Texas, Mississippi, and Chicago blues. In 1952, Collins formed his first band and within two years, he was headlining clubs in and around Houston. He began making records in 1958, and went on to record for such respected labels as Imperial, Alligator, and Point Blank. Collins was also an in-demand side man and be heard playing on records by the likes of David Bowie, B.B. King, 
