Boomtown Rats Founding Member, Guitarist Garry Roberts, Passes At 72

Bob Geldof: Remembering Boomtown Rats' Co-Founder Roberts (Photo: David Fowler / Shutterstock.com)

BOOMTOWN RATS guitarist and founding member GARRY ROBERTS has died at 72, the IRISH rock group fronted by BOB GELDOF announced, describing him as "the guy who summed up the sense of who THE RATS are."

ROBERTS had been performing with the group, which formed in DUBLIN in 1975 after a 27-year hiatus.

The founding members had all known one another since they were children.

'It is with a very heavy heart that the members of BOOMTOWN RATS announce the death this morning of GARRY ROBERTS...a man who will be missed, a friend who will be remembered, a sound that will never be forgotten. 

"The remaining members of the band, PETE [BRIQUETTE], BOB [GELDOF] and SIMON [CROWE] extend their deepest sympathy to his family and friends."

In the tribute, the group said: "For fans he was The Legend - and he was. For us he was Gazzer, the guy who summed up the sense of who THE RATS are."

ROBERTS is also said to have been instrumental in settling on BOOMTOWN RATS as a name. He reportedly threatened to quit unless they changed their name from THE NIGHTLIFE THUGS.

Their new name was chosen by GELDOF after he read the phrase in protest singer WOODY GUTHRIE's autobiography, "Bound For Glory."

After the group disbanded in 1986, ROBERTS went on to work as a sound engineer on tours across the UK and U.S.

He avoided playing guitar in public for a decade before pairing up with SIMON CROWE for four years.

ROBERTS tried his hand at a new career entirely and worked as an independent financial advisor for 15 years before becoming a central heating engineer.

In 2013,the BOOMTOWN RATS came back together and announced a tour of the UK and IRELAND.

GELDOF said: "Playing again with the RATS and doing those great songs again will be exciting afresh. We were an amazing band and I just feel it's the right time to re-RAT, to go back to BOOMTOWN for a visit." 

The group released new music in 2017 and again in 2020. 

GELDOF told ROLLING STONE in 2020 the group were enjoying being back together "but not putting too much thought into 'what comes next."

"We're all 965 years old,' he said. 'We probably only have 18 months left! The finishing lane is very clear at this point. But I do really want to play these songs live because that's when songs are truly completed. That's the final closing of the loop.'

« see more Net News