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Edward John Gagliardi (February 13, 1952 – May 11, 2014) was an American bass guitarist, best known as the original bass player for the 1970s rock band Foreigner. He was a member of Foreigner from the beginning in 1976. Gagliardi, most notably, played a Fireglo Rickenbacker bass guitar, left-handed even though he was naturally right-handed. It is widely known that he did so out of admiration, and devotion to Paul McCartney (most often self-doctored from right-handed basses, reengineered and played upside down, by Gagliardi himself). Gagliardi was on the albums Foreigner and Double Vision
Ed Gagliardi | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Edward John Gagliardi |
| Born | February 13, 1952 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 2014 (aged 62) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1966–2014 |
| Spouse | Loretta Gagliardi |
In 1981, Gagliardi formed the band Spys with former Foreigner keyboardist Al Greenwood,[1] a band that set the tone for much of the 80's synth-rock bands, and received acclaim within the musical community.
Gagliardi died of cancer on May 11, 2014, after battling it for eight years. Friends and family held a private ceremony.[2][3]
In 2024, Gagliardi was posthumously selected for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a member of Foreigner.[4]
References
edit- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-531373-4.
- ^ "Passings: Ed Gagliardi, Original Bassist For Foreigner (1952 - 2014) ~ VVN Music". Vintagevinylnews.com. 2014-05-12. Archived from the original on 2016-05-13. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
- ^ "Original Foreigner Bassist Ed Gagliardi Dies at 62". Ultimateclassicrock.com. 2014-05-12. Retrieved 2016-05-26.
- ^ "2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
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