MOURNERS at the funeral of an acclaimed Belfast musician have heard he brought joy and comfort to many people.
Rab McCullough (72), who was a married father-of-three, died on Saturday.
A well-known, talented blues musician in Ireland, Europe and America, he died five days after he suffered a cardiac arrest at Andersonstown Leisure Centre.
With a career spanning more than 50 years, he shared stages with stars including Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher, AC/DC and Van Morrison.
He also performed with musicians from Cream and The Rolling Stones.
He held a 21-year residency at the Empire Music Hall in Belfast and was joined on stage with Hollywood star Tim Robbins in 2008.
Family and friends yesterday gathered at St Agnes' Church in Andersonstown for Requiem Mass.
Fr Thomas McGlynn told those gathered that Mr McCullough was a "renaissance man" who had enjoyed a long and remarkable musical journey.
"Not only multi-skilled, he was largely self-taught particularly in the field of music, something which became an obsession for him at a very early age," he said.
Born in north Belfast, Mr McCullough, who played several instruments, had worked as a scaffolder before becoming a pool attendant and life saver at Andersonstown Leisure Centre.
He was also a qualified sports medic and had assisted players from the Antrim and Armagh county GAA teams. He was also well-known for playing handball.
Fr McGlynn said the family were grateful for the staff at the leisure centre who went to the musician's aid when he became ill, in particular a doctor who gave him immediate attention.
He revealed that when Mr McCullough arrived at A&E at the Royal Victoria Hospital, some younger doctors recognised him from when they socialised at The Empire during their student days and were "honoured" to treat him.
"What he expressed through his music was a reflection of what he knew and experienced in the wider world around him," Fr McGlynn added.
"Like all artists, you work with what you know. For many people, the contact they had with Rab was during those 21 years of residency in The Empire.
"Over the years, music gave him a voice and it also gave him confidence. Having found that voice and confidence and learned so many lessons from it, he gladly shared that rich experience with other people and helped them to find what they found. He lived his life well and brought joy and comfort to so many people."
