The death has taken place in Cork of former Taste bass player, Eric Kitteringham who along with drummer Norman Damery was in the first incarnation of the band synonmous with Rory Gallagher.

Kitteringham who was 66 and was originally from Victoria Road in Cork city but more recently lived at Fitzgerald Place in Fermoy in North Cork died yesterday at Marymount Hospice following an illness.

Together with Norman Damery, he played in the leading Cork band of the mid-1960s, The Axels, but when the band split up in 1966, he and Damery joined up with Gallagher who had left The Impact and together they formed Taste.

They played and toured together for two years including performing at the Star Club in Hamburg where The Beatles had played, before becoming regulars at a rhythm and blues club at the Maritime Hotel in Belfast where the band had big following.

In 1968, the band began performing in the UK but Kitteringham and Damery left the band and were replaced by John Wilson on drums and Richard McCracken on bass and it was that line up which played at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970.

Just before the original Taste line-up split up, they released a single called Blister on the Moon/ Born on the Wrong Side of Time based on a demo tape which was released on the small label, Major-Minor which is the only record this line-up ever released.

Gallagher biographer and music afficinado, Marcus Connaughton paid tribute to Mr Kitteringham whom he last met at the launch of his biography of Gallagher Rory Gallagher - His Life and Times late last year.

“Eric was a fine bass player but more than that he was a very gentle man - he was always encouraging a lot of young musicians along the way and that’s the sign of a fine musician,” said Mr Connaughton.

Kitteringham who is survived by his wife, Pamela, daughters Nichola and Andrea, and brother George will be laid to rest following a funeral service at The Island Crematorium in Ringaskiddy at 12 noon tomorrow.