THIN LIZZY Guitarist SCOTT GORHAM Opens Up About Recent Health Scare: 'The Surgeon Said I Actually Died On The Operating Table'

For the latest episode of the Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz, host Darren Paltrowitz spoke with legendary THIN LIZZY and BLACK STAR RIDERS guitarist Scott Gorham, as recorded via Zoom in May 2025. This in-depth conversation covers Scott's recent health scare, his thriving second career as an artist, future music plans, and even the correct pronunciation of "THIN LIZZY" — straight from the source. Scott also opened up about his influences, his connection to Huey Lewis, and his thoughts on other bands embracing the iconic "twin guitar" sound THIN LIZZY pioneered.

Asked if fans can expect to see him back on the road in the not-too-distant future, the 74-year-old Gorham — who recently launched his second art collection — said:  "It's possible right now. I had a health issue scare about a year ago with a kidney that had to be removed and I got sepsis from it. And the second surgeon said I actually died on the operating table and all that. And I was, like, 'Really, man? What the hell is all that about?' And now I had a third operation, and he said, 'Maybe you should take some time out and just kind of rehabilitate and all that, get your strength back and all that.' So that's what I'm doing. And in the meantime, I've got the drawing to keep me occupied. So hopefully soon-ish down the road, I can get my buns back out on the road."

After Paltrowitz noted that it sounds like Gorham is "creatively fulfilled, even if it's not with guitar," Scott said: "Yeah. You've gotta remember, playing guitar in bands, I've been doing this for 50 years now, so sitting at Heathrow airport waiting for the next flight isn't really a new thing for me anymore. But the drawing, to do this constantly right now, that kind of is the new thing for me. It's something that I thought I'd never really do as a constant thing. So I'm kind of enjoying this kind of break from the music right now and going into this little bit of a different direction. I mean, it's still entertainment, but it's just a another side. So I'm really kind of enjoying that."

In 1974, the Californian musician moved to the United Kingdom and joined Irish rockers THIN LIZZY. Scott would perform on ten best-selling albums, including "Jailbreak", "Johnny The Fox", "Bad Reputation" and "Live And Dangerous", and on the hit singles "The Boys Are Back In Town", "Rosalie", "Dancing In The Moonlight (It's Caught Me In Its Spotlight)" and "Waiting On An Alibi".

In April 2024, Gorham unveiled six new works of art, with limited-edition prints available to purchase through the artist's web site. The Scott Gorham World site showcases illustrative works from an archive the now-74-year-old guitarist started creating under the radar as an artist nearly 40 years ago.

Gorham was in BLACK STAR RIDERS for nearly a decade, having formed the band in 2013 with other THIN LIZZY members after deciding to write and record new music under a new moniker. BLACK STAR RIDERS' original lineup was completed by vocalist Ricky Warwick, guitarist Damon Johnson, bassist Marco Mendoza and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso.

BLACK STAR RIDERS announced Gorham's departure in September 2021, with Warwick saying in a statement: "We are very sad to see Scott go, but we discussed a very heavy world touring commitment on the new record and Scott decided he wanted to concentrate just on THIN LIZZY — and being the legend he is, none of us can blame him."