Vincent Gerard "Vini" Reilly (born 4 August 1953)[1][2] is an English musician and leader of the post-punk group the Durutti Column. He is known for his distinctively clean, fluid guitar style, which stood out from his punk-era contemporaries in its incorporation of jazz, folk, and classical elements.[3] In addition to his work under that group, Reilly has also collaborated with artists such as Morrissey, John Cooper Clarke, Pauline Murray, Anne Clark, and others.
Biography
Reilly was born on 4 August 1953 in Higher Blackley, Manchester,[4] and raised in Withington, Wythenshawe[5] and Didsbury, Manchester. His father was an engineer who did not allow his five children to watch television.[5] At age 16, Reilly's father died. He later lamented that he did not admire[6] or know him enough.[7] As a youngster, Reilly was a talented footballer. He was offered a trial for Manchester City F.C., but he declined, opting to concentrate on music.[5][7]
In September 2010, Reilly had a "minor" stroke which made him lose "some feeling in his left hand".[10][11] Despite this, in February 2011 it was reported that he was working on a new album.[12] The new tracks are slower because, since the stroke, he cannot play as fast as he used to.[13] In January 2013, Reilly's nephew made an Internet appeal on his behalf for donations because the guitarist had debts for unpaid rent from the time between his strokes and his assessment for disability benefit. Fans sent £3,000 within a day and Reilly was reported to feel that their generosity had "lifted the weight of the world off his shoulders".[14]
