Cowboy Song: The Authorised Biography of Philip Lynott

"The truest measure of the man we have thus far," declares Mojo, while the Mail on Sunday praises it as an "affectionate, impeccably researched biography," and the Sunday Telegraph considers it "head and shoulders above the usual rock hagiography."

Cowboy Song stands as the definitive authorised account of the extraordinary life and career of Thin Lizzy's guiding spirit, Philip Lynott, being the first biography written with the cooperation of the Lynott Estate. Leading music writer Graeme Thomson delves into the fascinating contradictions between Lynott's unbridled rock star excesses and the shy, sensitive 'orphan' who grew up in working-class Dublin. The mixed-race child of a Catholic teenager and a Guyanese stowaway, Lynott overcame formidable obstacles and painful abandonments to become Ireland's inaugural rock star.

Cowboy Song explores his crucial musical alliances and the unique blend of cultural influences that shaped Lynott's writing, connecting Ireland's rich traditions of music, myth, and poetry to hard rock, progressive folk, punk, soul, and New Wave. Published on the thirtieth anniversary of Lynott's death in January 1986, Thomson draws on scores of exclusive interviews with family, friends, bandmates, and collaborators. The result is both the ultimate depiction of a multifaceted rock icon and an intimate portrait of a much-loved father, son, and husband.