A plan to erect a statue of guitar legend Gary Moore in his native city of Belfast has been given the go-ahead.

A proposal by Belfast Green Party councillor Brian Smyth, on behalf of the Wild Frontier Memorial Project, was approved at a City Hall committee meeting.

On Wednesday (January 15), Smyth took to his Instagram to write: “This evening at committee, Belfast City Council agreed to my proposal to carry out a land check of sites in the Cathedral Quarter for a potential Gary Moore statue. As a proud son of our city and East Belfast, he blazed a trail and has left a lasting legacy for rock and blues fans across the world.

“I am working with the Wild Frontier Memorial Project who are campaigning and fundraising for a statue of Gary in Belfast.

“Gary was one of the greatest ever guitarists and deserves to be honoured in his home city. We have never been great at celebrating our people who have achieved great success. It’s time to change that in relation to Gary Moore and tell his story for future generations of aspiring musicians in Belfast.”

According to the Irish News, Smyth spoke at the meeting of the council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee, saying Moore was “probably the greatest guitarist to come out of Belfast”.

“Over the last couple of years, I have been in touch with and gotten to know the Wild Frontier Memorial Project who are campaigning for a statue for Gary Moore in the city was born in,” he added. “They seek to celebrate Moore‘s contribution to blues and rock, inspire future generations of musicians, encourage tourism into Gary‘s native city, and celebrate one of Belfast’s most remarkable talents, who is admired around the world.

“If a statue of him was to become a reality, it would be similar to the Rory Gallagher one, and would be privately funded.”

Former THIN LIZZY guitarist Gary Moore was born and raised in Belfast in 1952 and carved an illustrious career with notable stints in bands such as SKID ROW and G-FORCE, as well as flourishing as a rock and blues solo artist. His ground-breaking 1990 album “Still Got The Blues” remains popular today, having sold over three million copies to date.

Renowned for seamlessly transitioning between heavy rock and blues genres, Moore took his denim-and-leather-clad fans on a remarkable musical journey that led to collaborations with icons like B.B. King, Albert King, Peter Green, Glenn Hughes, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton.

The Wild Frontier Memorial Project, endorsed by Moore‘s son Jack and sister Patricia, has also gained support from the Green Party and The Alliance Party in Belfast.

Srón Quigley, who, with Patricia Moore, co-founded The Wild Frontier Memorial Project, said: “This is an exciting time for the campaign to honor the legend Gary Moore with a statue in Belfast. We want to celebrate his memorable music, his remarkable talent, and with his legacy, inspire new generations of musicians.

“Belfast is a city rich with music history and talent and we believe visitors to the city will warmly welcome a statue of Gary Moore as much as the people of Belfast. We know Gary has a worldwide fanbase and our new online crowdfunding appeal will allow them to show their support and love for Gary Moore.”

The statue is expected to cost in the region of 80,000 euros.

Moore passed away in his sleep on February 6, 2011, hours after checking into the five-star Kempinski Hotel in Estepona on the Costa del Sol, Spain with a female friend. He reportedly suffered a heart attack brought on by a massive amount of alcohol he consumed prior to being found dead in bed.