Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Delorme grew up in Edmonton, Alberta,[3] and lived primarily in western Canada until his death.

[4] After a brief move to Vancouver, Delorme returned to Edmonton in the 1990s and was a mainstay at the Sidetrack Cafe where he developed a Latin fusion style that at one point featured Gaye leading a 10-piece band with a horn section.

[2] Delorme played with many musicians and groups including Jann Arden, the Powder Blues Band, Lenny Breau, David Foster, Airto Moreira, Billy Cobham and Stanley Clarke.

The immediately recognizable guitar riff became part of the modern musical lexicon, with numerous covers of "Earache My Eye" recorded by heavy metal, punk and even hip-hop artists.

[1] The drug- and alcohol-fueled atmosphere of LA was taking a heavy toll on Delorme by the mid-1980s, so he moved back to his native Canada.

[1] Delorme was often involved in Cheech and Chong's improvised writing process, and humor was integral to his audience rapport during live performances.

One night after a gig, leaving New Westminster Skytrain station, he was attacked and beaten by a group of muggers, causing him to suffer a stroke; the thugs also stole his guitar, which has never been recovered.

He was 64 years old and was due to perform at the Calgary Bluesfest Warmup on June 25, 2011, with his longtime sideman, keyboardist Peter Sweetzir.