50 Great Things That Came Out Of The Midlands – 34: Phil Lynott

The great hard-rock heroes all hail from the West Midlands. Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy all let out their first lusty baby cries in and around these parts. Even the great ‘Irish’ music icon and Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott was secretly a Midlander: his birth certificate shows that he was born in West Bromwich. That statue in Dublin really ought to be taken down and re-erected just off the M5. Little-known facts: 1) Off mic, Phil spoke with a broad Brummie accent. ‘Yow all right, bab?’ he would greet guitarist Scott Gorham of a morning. 2) The Boys Are Back in Town was originally titled The Boys Are Back in Brum – Dino’s Bar and Grill was a favourite eatery of Phil’s just off Chamberlain Square. It did a great egg and chips, apparently.