Thin Lizzy hire new guitarist

Thin Lizzy have hired a new guitarist to fill in for Richard Fortus on their upcoming US tour with metal legends Judas Priest. (Fortus, meanwhile, had been hired to fill in for Vivian Campbell this year, while Campbell tours with Def Leppard).

Since Fortus has other commitments with Guns N’ Roses, filling the vacant spot is Damon Johnson, previously of Brother Cane and Alice Cooper fame.  Johnson is reported to be delighted with his new position.

In a statement regarding his new employ, Johnson says:

Thin Lizzy is the absolute biggest influence on my entire career; as a guitarist, songwriter, singer and performer I’ve been performing Lizzy songs since I started playing in bars in Alabama in 1987. To be even a small footnote on the list of great guitarists that have been in the band over the years is one of the highest accolades of my life. I am honored and beyond excited!

 

The tour dates for October/November are as follows:

10/12 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
10/14 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Ampitheater
10/15 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
10/16 – Dallas, TX – Allen Event Center
10/18 – Tucson, AZ – Ava Ampitheater
10/19 – San Diego, CA – Cricket Wireless Ampitheater
10/21 – Phoenix, AZ – AZ State Fair
10/22 – San Bernardino, CA – San Manuel Ampitheater
10/23 – Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock
10/25 – Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Ampitheater
10/26 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
10/29 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater
10/30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
11/1 – Edmonton, AB – Shaw Conference Center
11/2 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
11/4 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
11/5 – Denver, CO – 1st Bank Center
11/12 – Chicago, IL – The Venue At Horeshoe Casino
11/13 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena
11/18 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center

Support on all dates comes from Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society.