Huey Lewis recently recalled his friendship and ‘unfinished business’ with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott while speaking with Songfacts.
It was reported prior to Lynott’s passing in the mid-80s that Lewis was supposed to produce the singer’s then-upcoming album. So, when the host asked about the ‘rumor,’ Huey said:
“We cut three songs with Philip. His management asked if I would produce a record for Philip, and I said, ‘Well, I don’t know if I have the time to do a whole record, but I’ll do three tracks.’ And they said, ‘OK, fine.'”
However, the pair’s ‘business’ had remained ‘unfinished’ due to a tragedy:
“So, he came over to America and we cut three things. He only had eight days or something and we didn’t finish them; we didn’t get the vocals done. We got them most of the way, and unfortunately, he went back to Britain and then passed away [in 1986].”
Still, Lewis’ memories of Lynott were fond, as the rocker recalled his friendship with the late frontman:
“Philip was my mentor. First of all, there was nobody better on stage. There was never a better hard-rock band than Thin Lizzy. They were unbelievable. He took me under his wing and really taught me everything, not musically, necessarily, but everything about being a ‘rock-and-roll star,’ if you will.”
The rocker further continued by praising Phil’s mentorship of him and the Irish star’s early life:
“Philip was an amazing rock star. He was a Black kid born in the middle of Dublin, Ireland, and went to an all-white school. He was a peacock to begin with, he was different, and he loved being a rock star. He taught me everything about how to deal with your band, your crew, the critics, the record label, management, fans. He really was just instrumental in forming my education. I miss him every day.”
Lynott’s final album was a solo one, with ‘The Phil Lynott Album,’ released in 1982. His last years as a rocker, however, were a bit quieter as he struggled with addiction. Still, the former Thin Lizzy frontman also managed to find chart success with the single, ‘Out in the Fields,’ with Gary Moore in 1984, two years before his passing.