Dear
[email], hello and welcome!
Donal Gallagher's Christmas
and New Year Greetings
Hi All,
Here’s
hoping that you had a good 2007. As the year ends we find ourselves
on the crest of a new wave. At the time of writing, I have just returned
from New York where I attended the first Rory tribute night. The evenings
were terrific, barring an 11th hour change of venue courtesy of the
I.R.S. who shut down the venue as the owner allegedly hadn’t paid
his taxes up to date. The elements were like scenes from a song that
Rory might write. However, full credit goes to Arnie Goodman, a stalwart
Rory fan for many years, who pulled the whole event together. The musicians
were fantastic, doing Rory proud by keeping his musical spirit alive,
my grateful thanks to everyone concerned
While in the
Big Apple, I brought our relationship with Legacy / SonyBMG to an end
for the N. American territories [our current agreement for all other
countries remains in place], as I felt there was little support for
Rory’s music and have temporarily withdrawn the release of an
‘Essential’.
Negotiations
with other U.S. record companies have already begun and our situation
should be established early in ‘08. At which point a release of
Rory’s music shall be decided.
Therefore, as
we are soon to appoint a new record company, we intend to put maximum
effort into improving Rory’s visibility and music in the States
and Canada. Already there are some exciting plans to happen in ’08.
We are preparing
material for a Taste release with Polydor Records for a release in mid
’08. We continue to pursue the release of Taste’s “Isle
of Wight”, performance and hope that director Murry Learnor together
with Eagle Rock Entertainment will finally cut a deal to get this out.
Ending
the year on a high, the first Rory Martin model arrived for approval
(see pic), it’s a tremendous instrument and a wonderful tribute
to my brother. The Martins should be available from March ’08.
The guitar had its first outing in New York and passed it’s first
road test thanks to Seamus Kelliher (who put on the Bottom Line show
some years back).
The coming year
should be quite eventful; Cork’s C.I.T. (Cork Information Technology
) in Bishopstown, will name it’s performance theatre after Rory
marking Rory’s birth date in March. This will be a full civic
affair and honours the acoustic performance Rory gave there in late’93.
Barry O’Neill
has successfully campaigned and has got approval of the Donegal District
Council for the erection of a statue in Ballyshannon to mark Rory’s
birth in the town, what an achievement for both Barry and Rory.
We hope to screen
the long awaited Rory documentary, currently we are looking to the month
of June for this but our U.S. record company situation may alter the
viewing, as I am seeking a universal type transmission but will keep
you posted on the documentary’s progress.
Currently, I
am working with a publisher to produce a Rory (full colour) ‘coffee
table’ photographic type book and I intend to write most of the
text (over the holidays), so that the facts are true and accurate. The
publishers of this book are curious to seek Rory admirers’ views
and interest for the publication, which will be a limited release. A
notice for this project will soon be placed on the site and responses
can then be reviewed. This book will have our full consent, regrettably
others out there didn’t have the courtesy to seek any approval
and thus the Rory site cannot endorse them. Also, the guitar tablature
book is well under way and just awaits the final notation on some of
the material to be approved. At the time of writing, the music book
will be published through Music Sales (U.K.).
To all of you,
I send my very best wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a great Year
ahead.
Donal Gallagher,
December 2007