by Greg PratoAlong with Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen, Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott was one of the first to merge poetry with rock music. Philip Parris Lynott was born in 1949 (his father was Brazilian and his mother Irish), and was raised mostly by his grandmother, Sarah. After discovering rock n' roll as a teen, Phil began singing in his first band, the Black Eagles. It was around this time that Lynott met future Thin Lizzy drummer, Brian Downey. As the 60's wore on, such landmark artists as Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, which would help shape the sound of this next band, influenced Phil. Thin Lizzy was officially formed in the early-70's, and through a succession of guitarists, eventually became one of the world's top hard rock bands by the middle of the decade, especially on the strength of the hit anthem "The Boys are Back in Town" and a string of classic albums (Jailbreak, Bad Reputation, Live & Dangero...