Ed Gagliardi
Edward John Gagliardi (February 13, 1952 – May 11, 2014) was an American bass guitarist, best known as the original bass player for the 1970s rock band Foreigner. He was a member of Foreigner from the beginning in 1976. Gagliardi, most notably, played a Fireglo Rickenbacker bass guitar, left-handed even though he was naturally right-handed. It is widely known that he did so out of admiration, and devotion to Paul McCartney (most often self-doctored from right-handed basses, reengineered and played upside down, by Gagliardi himself). Gagliardi was on the albums Foreigner and Double Vision
Ed Gagliardi | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Edward John Gagliardi |
| Born | February 13, 1952 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 11, 2014 (aged 62) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass guitar |
| Years active | 1966–2014 |
| Spouse(s) | Loretta Gagliardi |
In 1981, Gagliardi formed the band Spys with former Foreigner keyboardist Al Greenwood, a band that set the tone for much of the 80's synth-rock bands, and received acclaim within the musical community.
Gagliardi died of cancer on May 11, 2014, after battling it for eight years. Friends and family held a private ceremony.