ASKING ALEXANDRIA's BEN BRUCE Almost Met GARY MOORE The Night Legendary Guitarist Died

ASKING ALEXANDRIA's Ben Bruce says that he almost met Gary Moore the night that the legendary guitarist died more than nine years ago.

"I can't remember what year it was — it was a very long time ago; we were young," Bruce told Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA in a new interview (see video below). "We were in Spain, I believe, and we had just played a show. And we got to the hotel, and we got told that Gary Moore was staying in the hotel next door. And I was, like, 'My God. Gary Moore's [staying next door].' And everyone was, like, 'Go find him.' I'm, like, 'I'm gonna go to his hotel and say, 'Can I get Gary Moore's room key? I'm here for Mr. Moore.' I was, like, 'No, I can't do that. This is stupid.' And I stayed up the whole night, like, 'Man, he's, like, right over there.' And then we left the next day, and I didn't think anything more of it. And then I found out later that apparently that's the night he died. And now I'm always, like, 'Oh my God. What if I had gone and knocked on his door? Maybe he would still be alive.' It's a weird thing that always plays in my mind now. I mean, you don't know, do you? It's that butterfly effect thing. If I'd maybe knocked on his door…"

Moore passed away in his sleep on February 6, 2011, hours after checking into the five-star Kempinski Hotel in Estepona on the Costa del Sol, Spain with a female friend. He reportedly suffered a heart attack brought on by a massive amount of alcohol he consumed prior to being found dead in bed.

Moore made a name for himself in the late 1960s with the Dublin-based SKID ROW, before following bass player Phil Lynott in 1974 to play with classic rockers THIN LIZZY.

Throughout his career, Moore recorded numerous solo albums, and shared the stage with the likes of B.B. King, Albert King, Jack Bruce, Albert Collins and George Harrison.