Alan Murphy (35) – guitarist with Level 42 – was born on November 28th 1953 in Islington, London.
Murphy’s first musical group was called Blackmass and consisted of Murphy, Roy Phillips, James Hedges, Terry Eden, Steve Paget, and Vincent Duffy. Blackmass was named in tribute to Deep Purple founding guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, an early influence of Murphy’s. The band fell apart when their equipment was stolen.
Murphy then performed with Fusion Orchestra for the better part of 1975. In 1982, he handled on-stage guitar duties for London-based new wave vocalist Zaine Griff (originally from New Zealand), performing music that was in many ways a stylistic precursor to the sound of Go West that he would help forge several years later. In 1984, Murphy worked on the album Cold in a Warm Climate with the band Paparazzi, becoming a member in preparation for a major European tour. When Paparazzi unexpectedly dissolved over internal disagreements and managerial problems, Murphy was recruited to play on the debut album of Go West in 1985, shortly thereafter becoming an official member and a key component in their sound.
Murphy was then enlisted to support Kate Bush on The Tour of Life, which took in Europe and the UK in 1979. Both a live video and EP were released with material taken from this tour. He also contributed to her albums Never for Ever (1980), The Dreaming (1982), Hounds of Love (1985), The Sensual World (1989), and the single “Rocket Man”.
In 1988, Murphy was asked to replace Level 42 guitarist Boon Gould, and recorded with the band on their album, Staring at the Sun (1988). A live album was recorded during this period, Live at Wembley. This was one of the last major projects that Murphy worked on before his death.
Murphy was a session man who worked with many artists, including Rod Stewart on the Atlantic Crossing Tour in 1976, David Bowie, Ace on their No. 1 hit “How Long”, Nick Heyward, Long John Baldry, Joan Armatrading, Mike and the Mechanics, Amii Stewart, Andrew Caine, Eikichi Yazawa, Scritti Politti, So, Iain Williams and Miquel Brown. Alan also shared an extensive and fruitful writing partnership with his distant cousin Michael Finbarr Murphy who wrote and played guitar for Heatwave, Central Line and Diana Ross among others.
Sometime in the mid 1980s Alan Murphy contracted HIV from a homosexual relationship and weakened by AIDS, he died of pneumonia on October 19, 1989. He was 35.
