About Bernie Tormé
Ranelagh-born Bernie Tormé was a rock/metal guitarist, songwriter, record label and recording studio owner. Tormé is best known for his work with Gillan, as well as his brief stint with Ozzy Osbourne replacing Randy Rhoads.
Tormé played in Dublin band The Urge in the early 1970s, before relocating to London in 1974, where he initially played with heavy rockers Scrapyard, whose bass player, John McCoy would later be re-united with Tormé in Gillan and later on in GMT. Inspired by the burgeoning mid-1970s punk rock scene, Tormé formed the Bernie Tormé Band in 1976. With this group, Tormé toured with successful groups of that period such as The Boomtown Rats and Billy Idol's Generation X, among many others. Tormé later revealed that his band secured the supporting slot with the Boomtown Rats by agreeing to go around London putting up posters advertising the tour
Tormé accepted the invitation of former Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan in 1979 to join his band Gillan. Gillan enjoyed considerable success including three Top Ten UK albums, but in 1981 Tormé left Gillan, citing frustration over a lack of money despite the success the band was seeing. Following this, Tormé continued on with his own band under various names and line-ups.
In the early 80s, he toured with Atomic Rooster and also played on their album 'Headline News'.
In 1988 he formed the band Desperado with Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider and former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr. That band dissolved in the early 1990s due to problems with the record label after they shelved an album they were working on before the release date in 1990.
In 2005 he formed the band GMT (Guy McCoy Tormé) with drummer Robin Guy and former Gillan bass player, John McCoy.
Bernie Tormé died on 17 March 2019 after an illness.
Video
'STAR' - Bernie Torme & Electric Gypsies 1982
G.M.T - Rocky Road (from Dublin)
GMT - Cannonball
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