File photo shows the Irish guitarist during the 42nd Montreux Jazz Festival in 2008. - Photo by AFP

LONDON: Rock guitarist and former Thin Lizzy star Gary Moore has died in Spain, British media reported on Sunday. The Belfast-born musician was 58.

According to the Irish Times website, Moore was found dead in his hotel room in Estepona early in the morning. A post-mortem was due to be carried out in the nearby city of Malaga, the newspaper added.

Moore was just 16 years old when he moved from Belfast to Dublin in 1969 to join Skid Row, which featured Phil Lynott as lead singer.

He was later brought into Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, best known for hit songs like “Whiskey in the Jar” and “The Boys Are Back in Town”.

He replaced the departing Eric Bell, who told the BBC “I still can't believe it. He was so robust, he wasn't a rock casualty, he was a healthy guy. He was a superb player and a dedicated musician.”

Apart from playing with Thin Lizzy for several periods, Moore worked separately with Lynott, who died in 1986 from drug-related complications.

Moore also worked with a number of top artists, including George Harrison.

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