Today we will tell you about one of the busiest hard rock and metal drummers, Simon J. Wright.
(Photo: Rockoverdose.gr)
1. He was born in Oldham Lancashire, England, on 19 June 1963.
2. He began his musical career in the band "Tora-Tora" with which he recorded the single "Red Sun Setting", which was released in 1980, when he was only 17 years old.
3. He later moved to the heavy metal band "A II Z", with which he released the live album "The Witch of Berkley" and the single "I'm The One Who Loves You", in 1981.
4. After the band disbanded, Simon moved to "Tytan", which in its various incarnations also included bassist Kev Riddles from "Angel Witch" and guitarist Doug Aldrich.
5. In 1983 he responded to a newspaper ad that read, "Rock Drummer Wanted. If you do not hit hard, do not apply." This ad was published by "AC/DC", after drummer Phil Rudd left it.
(Photo: Rockerrags.com)
6. Simon was invited to audition during which he played three songs. Two hours later he has already received a call informing him that he had been accepted into the band.
7. His first appearances in the "AC/DC" uniform can already be seen in video clips of the songs on from album "Flick Of The Switch", even though he did not play on the album. Simon was then only 20 years old.
8. Simon's first full-length album with the band was "Fly On The Wall", from 1985.
9. Later he will also record the albums "Who Made Who" from 1986 and "Blow Up Your Video" from 1988, with "AC/DC".
10. In 1989, Simon left "AC/DC", after being invited to join Ronnie James Dio's lineup.
11. The first album he recorded with the band was "Lock Up the Wolves" from 1990.
12. But just then, Ronnie James Dio decides to reunite with "Black Sabbath" and release the album "Dehumanizer" with them, forcing Simon to move to the band "Rhino Bucket".
13. He releases with "Rhino Bucket" the album "PAIN" from 1994, but in 1996 the band ceases its activities, and Simon is again forced to look for a new lineup.
14. Already that year he took part in the album "Worlds Away", the fourth solo album by guitarist John Norum.
(Photo: courtesy of Simon Wright)
15. In 1998, Simon joins "UFO" and records the live album "Live on Earth" and later the studio album "Covenant" from 2000, with them.
16. In 2000 he receives an offer to return to the Ronnie James Dio lineup and reunite with his old friends Craig Goldy and Jimmy Bain.
17. That same year "Dio" releases what is considered his comeback album - the excellent concept album "Magica".
18. Later Simon will also take part in the albums "Killing the Dragon" and "Master of the Moon" and the live albums "Evil or" Divine - Live In New York City and "Holy Diver - Live".
19. In 2011, after the death of Ronnie James Dio, Simon will be part of the band "Dio Disciples" which included the band members who survived from the final lineup of "Dio" plus singer Tim "Ripper" Owens.
20. In 2013 Simon joined singer Geoff Tate's version of "Queensrÿche" and was part of the debut album released that year, called "Frequency Unknown".
21. Following a legal battle with the mother band, the band will be forced to change its name to "Operation: Mindcrime".
(Photo: Metalshockfinland.com)
22. Simon will release with "Operation: Mindcrime" three more studio albums that constitute a concept trilogy. The first is "The Key" from 2015, the second is "Resurrection" from 2016, and the third is "The New Reality" from 2017.