Guess who just got back today? Having played and recorded as Black Star Riders over the last few years, the band will reclaim their Thin Lizzy legacy to play some special dates in 2016 and they've got a special guest joining them for the run. Drummer Mikkey Dee of Motorhead will sit behind the kit when the band hits the road this year.

2016 marks two very key anniversaries in the history of Thin Lizzy. On March 26, 1976, the band released their iconic Jailbreak album to the masses, which yielded their biggest hit, "The Boys Are Back in Town" as well as the classic title track. In addition to the 40th anniversary of that disc, it's the 30th anniversary of the death of the band's legendary vocalist Phil Lynott, who passed away on Jan. 4, 1986.

To mark both occasions, the band will stage Thin Lizzy performances for a handful of dates beginning this summer and leading into 2017. The lineup for this run will include vocalist Ricky Warwick, guitarists Scott Gorham and Damon Johnson, keyboardist Darren Wharton and Dee sitting in on drums.

In 2012, the members of Thin Lizzy decided to record under a new band name -- Black Star Riders -- to be representative of their current state and out of respect for the legacy that late vocalist Phil Lynott left behind. Though they've recorded and toured as Black Star Riders, the band has left the door open to play occasional Thin Lizzy shows.

Gorham stated, "With Black Star Riders taking some time off the road to work on their third album, I thought it would be really cool to do some Thin Lizzy shows as it’s an anniversary year, to have some fun and to re-live the good old days. We will only do half a dozen or so dates to keep them special."

He went on to add, "For personal reasons Brian Downey won’t be with us but we have the incredible Mikkey Dee on the drum stool, which we are all very excited about. We will announce who is on bass shortly."

As for Dee, he stated, "It’s an honor to be asked to play with Thin Lizzy on these dates, being a life long fan I am so happy and excited to playing with the band on these shows. It’s going to be great!"

The first announced dates are the Ramblin' Man Fair in Ashford, Kent in the U.K. on July 23 and the Rock Legends Cruise V leaving from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., between Jan. 19 and 23 of 2017. For additional details, check the Thin Lizzy website.

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