Bernie Tormé March 18, 1952 – March 17, 2019
The popular Irish guitarist has died one day short of his sixty-seventh birthday. Tormé, who carved a solo career as well as performing with Gillan, Ozzy Osbourne, Desperado, the Electric Gypsies, Atomic Rooster and GMT, had been on a life support machine for four weeks following post-flu complications. A statement issued by his family commented: “Bernie will be remembered for dedicating his life to his music for five decades. He will be sorely missed.”
Born Bernard Joseph Tormey, the Dubliner used his early bands such as The Urge to develop a colourful, flamboyant and at times ferocious style of guitar playing that relied heavily upon use of the whammy bar.
“In early 1967 I first heard Jimi Hendrix, who totally blew me away and became my greatest influence,” he later told an interviewer, revealing that Rory Gallagher, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, Eric Bell and Peter Green were all key ingredients of a style he made all his own.
After moving to London in 1974, Tormé joined future Gillan bandmate John McCoy in Scrapyard. Two years later
