Bernie Tormé facts for kids

Bernie Tormé (born Bernard Joseph Tormey; 18 March 1952 – 17 March 2019) was a super talented Irish rock guitarist and songwriter. He also owned a record label and a recording studio. Bernie is most famous for playing guitar with the band Gillan. He also had a short time playing with the legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne. Bernie even started a band called Desperado with Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider. He also toured with another band called Atomic Rooster.

Discovering Music: Bernie Tormé's Early Days

Bernie Tormé was born in Ranelagh, Ireland. He was inspired by amazing guitarists like Jimi Hendrix and Rory Gallagher. Bernie formed his very first band when he was quite young. His first paid show happened when he was 17. He played at a local Girl Guides' dance in Dublin.

In the early 1970s, Bernie played in a Dublin band called The Urge. Then, in 1974, he moved to London, England. There, he first played with a heavy rock band called Scrapyard. Their bass player, John McCoy, would later play with Bernie again in the band Gillan.

Forming the Bernie Tormé Band

England had a growing punk rock music scene in the mid-1970s. Bernie was inspired by this and formed the Bernie Tormé Band in 1976. This group toured with popular bands of that time. They played with groups like The Boomtown Rats and Billy Idol's Generation X. Bernie later shared that his band got to open for The Boomtown Rats. They agreed to put up posters all over London to advertise the tour.

In 1977, Bernie's band contributed two songs to an album called Live at the Vortex. These songs were "Streetfighter" and "Living for Kicks". This led to them signing with the Jet Records label.

Joining Famous Bands: Gillan and Ozzy Osbourne

In 1979, Ian Gillan, the former singer of Deep Purple, asked Bernie to join his band, Gillan. For the next four years, Gillan became very successful. They had three albums reach the Top Ten in the UK. These albums were Mr. Universe, Glory Road, and Future Shock. The band also toured all over the world, including Europe, Japan, and the United States.

Moving On: From Gillan to Ozzy

Bernie left Gillan in 1981. He felt frustrated because, despite the band's success, he wasn't earning much money. Janick Gers replaced him as the guitarist. After leaving Gillan, Bernie played as a live session musician for Atomic Rooster. A session musician is someone who plays for a band temporarily, often for recordings or live shows.

In March 1982, Jet Records hired Bernie to join Ozzy Osbourne's band. He was replacing Randy Rhoads, who had sadly passed away. Bernie flew from England to Los Angeles, believing the job was his. Ozzy Osbourne had already picked another guitarist, but the record company insisted on Bernie. So, Bernie started rehearsing with the band.

After only seven shows, it became clear that Bernie's bluesy guitar style didn't quite fit Ozzy Osbourne's heavy metal sound. Bernie decided to return to England to work on his own solo album. He was quickly replaced by Brad Gillis, and the tour continued.

Later Career and Projects

Starting in 1982, Bernie Tormé led his own band. It had different names and members over the years. One version was called Tormé and featured singer Phil Lewis.

Bernie also spent several years with the band Desperado. This band included Dee Snider, the singer from Twisted Sister. Even though their record wasn't widely released, Dee Snider later used some of the songs for another project.

Bernie also played guitar on René Berg's solo album, The Leather, The Loneliness And Your Dark Eyes, which came out in 1992.

New Collaborations and Releases

Bernie kept releasing new music and re-releasing his older songs. He also joined a project called 'Silver'. This group included Gary Barden, the former singer of the Michael Schenker Group.

In 2006, Bernie announced a new band called Guy McCoy Tormé (also known as "G.M.T"). This band included John McCoy, who was the bassist for Gillan, and drummer Robin Guy. In 2007, Bernie added lead guitar and sitar parts to a song called "Smile in Denial". This song was on Yoni, a solo album by Ginger from The Wildhearts.

Bernie successfully released four albums between 2014 and 2018 using a platform called Pledgemusic. His last album, 'Shadowland', came out in November 2018. It featured drummer Mik Gaffney and Sy Morton on bass. This was followed by his 'Final Fling' UK tour.

Bernie Tormé also ran his own record label, Retrowrek Records. He also owned recording studios called Barnroom Studios in Kent, England.

Personal Life

In February 2019, it was reported that Bernie Tormé was very ill. He passed away on 17 March 2019, just one day before his 67th birthday. He is survived by his wife, Lisa Valder, and their children, Jimi, Eric, and Tuli. He is also survived by his sister, Cliodna Murphy.

Discography

Solo Albums

• Bernie Tormé And The Electric Gypsies ― Turn Out The Lights (1982) – UK No. 50
• Bernie Tormé And The Electric Gypsies ― Electric Gypsies (1983)
• Tormé - Back To Babylon (1986, With Phil Lewis)
• Tormé - Die Pretty, Die Young (1987, With Phil Lewis)
• Bernie Tormé – Flowers & Dirt (2014)
• Bernie Tormé – Blackheart (2015)
• Bernie Tormé – Dublin Cowboy (2017)
• Bernie Tormé – Shadowland (2018)

Live Albums

• Bernie Tormé – Live (1984)
• Bernie Tormé And The Electric Gypsies ― Scorched Earth Live 1999–2000 (2001)

With Gillan

• Mr. Universe (1979)
• Glory Road (1980)
• Future Shock (1981)
• Double Trouble (1981)

With Atomic Rooster

• Headline News (1983)

With Desperado

• Bloodied But Unbowed (1996)

With GMT

• Bitter And Twisted (2006)
• Evil Twin (2008)