Don Airey is this Guy.............
Biography
Born in Sunderland, N.E. England, Don’s musical talents were forged with an amalgam of classical training, (taking all the piano grades), a lively interest in his local rock and jazz scene, and regular paid gigs playing Hammond organ for the cabaret turns at the numerous Working Men’s Clubs in the locale.
He continued his musical education by taking a degree at Nottingham University and a diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music, and turned pro in 1972 taking his own band round the world, playing on cruise liners, to residencies in Africa, Florida, and the Far-East.
Moving to London, in 1974 he entered the world of rock via Cozy Powell’s band Hammer, which had three hit singles, and a year of touring. When this petered out, he moved onto a more esoteric level with fusion outfit.
Three albums followed, Strange New Flesh, Electric Savage, and Wardance plus a chart-topping collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Variations (still to be heard introducing ITV’s The South Bank Show).
In 1977 Don contributed keys to Gary Moore’s first solo outing, Back on the Streets, providing the arrangement for a tune called Biscayne Blues, which Phil Lynott’s lyrics transformed into Parisienne Walkways, a top ten hit all over the world.
When Colosseum II sadly folded in 1978, Don briefly joined Black Sabbath, playing keys on the album Never Say Die, before answering Cozy Powell’s call to fly to New York and join him and the legendary Ritchie Blackmore in Rainbow.
Two hit albums, Down to Earth, and Difficult to Cure followed, plus worldwide hit singles Since You Been Gone, All Night Long, and I Surrender, with three years of world tours.
On a break in 1980 Don played on Ozzy Osbourne’s first album since leaving Sabbath, Blizzard of Oz, and it was Don’s gothic keyboard intro to Mr Crowley, that helped to break the band on American radio. (CS80*)
At the conclusion of the Rainbow world tour of 1981, Don flew to LA and climbed aboard the Ozzy crazy train staying for another three year stint, that saw the albums Bark at the Moon, and Speak of the Devil emerge.
Returning to the UK in 1985, he played diverse sessions (including Gary Moore’s Out in the Fields) before flying to Vancouver to add keyboards to an album that would become one of the biggest selling rock albums ever, Whitesnake’s Whitesnake 87, spawning three world-wide top ten singles, In the Still of the Night (complete with monumental 2 minute keyboard instrumental), Here I go Again, and Is this Love.
Don returned to touring in 1987 joining Jethro Tull for their European and US jaunts. Securing a solo deal with MCA, he quit Tull in Jan 88 to compose K2, which was recorded in the summer with Gary Moore, Cozy Powell, Chris Thompson and Colin Blunstone. It had a limited release in Japan and Germany only, in 1989. Meanwhile its author had fled back to Los Angeles to begin work on the next Whitesnake album, Slip of the Tongue.
Returning to London in the autumn he joined the pre-production rehearsals for Gary Moore’s new blues project. Playing Hammond, and arranging all strings and brass, the album Still got the Blues went on to become the biggest selling blues album ever, producing three hits : King of the Blues, Still Got the Blues, and Walking by Myself, plus one year’s worth of touring.
In 1991, Don set up Don Airey Music, which over the years has provided corporate IDs, soundtracks etc. for the likes of DHL, BBC, McDonalds, Grants Whiskey, PDSA , etc.
He continued to tour and record, albeit more sporadically, with Brian May, Cozy Powell, Tony Iommi, Katrina & the Waves, Uli Roth, and in 1996 joined the reformed Electric Light Orchestra on their year-long world tour.
In 1997 he coaxed Colin Blunstone out of retirement and onto a sell-out club and theatre tour of the U.K. and Europe. Even more unlikely, he flew to Dublin in April where he arranged and conducted Love Shine a Light for Katrina & the Waves, to win the Eurovision Song Contest for the Royaume Uni.
In 1998 Don produced Colin Blunstone’s critically acclaimed comeback album The Light Inside, and toured with Joe Satriani’s G3. He then joined a Whitesnake re-incarnation with old chums Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody, The Snakes, that has toured constantly ever since.
1998 Don equally collaborated with Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin, and guitar wiz Dario Mollo, on metal album project The Cage, released in Europe
K2 Tales of Triumph and Tragedy1999 will see the release of a re-mastered and re-packaged K2 Tales of Triumph and Tragedy on 121 Music plus a tour starting in May with his own band, playing not only music from the album, but past hits celebrating 25 years in the business.
Don came to Purple’s rescue mid 2001 to help out for an injured Jon Lord, who has since retired, with Don recording the new album with Deep Purple as the band’s permanent keyboard player.
"The thought crossed my mind a few years ago 'If Jon retired...?.... Naaaah ....... They'd never ask me'. So when he did and they did, I jumped at the chance and it exceeded my expectations from the first number I played with them, Woman from Tokyo, at the Skanderborg Festival in 2001. Touring Russia and the US last year was a highlight and recording a new album with the band in Royaltone Studios LA, January 2003, the sort of experience I thought I'd said goobye to years ago - Long may it continue!"
Don has joined this legendary band on a full time basis since January 2003.
Don lives in British South-West Cambridgeshire, with his wife Doris, and their three children, where he runs his own pre-production and project studio.
Here is albums he has worked on
Alaska The Pack 1985 Keyboards
Andrew Lloyd Webber Variations 1978 Keyboards, Clavinet
Anthem Domestic Booty 1992 Keyboards
Babe Ruth Kids Stuff 1976 synthesizer Keyboards
Barbara Thompson Jubiaba 1978 Keyboards
Bernie Marsden Friday Rock Show Sessions 1992 Keyboards
Bernie Marsden About Time Too 1980 Piano, Keyboards Organ (Hammond), Mg Synthesizer, Fender Rhodes
Black Sabbath Never Say Die 1978 Keyboards
Black Sabbath Under Wheels of Confusion 1996 Keyboards
Brian May Back To The Light 1993 Keyboards
Brian May Resurrection 1993 Keyboards
Colin Blunstone His Greatest Hits 1993 Keyboards
Colin Blunstone The Light Inside 1998 Arranger, Keyboards, Producer
Colosseum II Wardance 1977 synthesizer Piano, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Clavinet, Mg Synthesizer, Bells
Colosseum II Electric Savage 1977 synthesizer Piano, Keyboard, Organ (Hammond), Clavinet, Mg Synthesizer, Bells
Colosseum II strange New Flesh 1976 synthesizer Keyboards
Company Of Snakes Here They Go Again 2000 Keyboards
Cozy Powell Tilt 1981 Keyboards
Cozy Powell Octopuss 1983 Keyboards
Cozy Powell Very Best of Cozy Powel 1997 Bass, Flute, Piano, Trombone, Trumpet, Arranger, French Horn, Keyboards, Keyboards, Oboe, Mg Synthesizer, Mg B
Cozy Powell The Drums Are Back 1992 Keyboards
Cozy Powell Over The Top 1979 Keyboards
Cozy Powell's Hammer Na Na Na 1974 Keyboards
Crossbones Crossbones 1998 Keyboards
Eddie Hardin Wind in the Willows-Live 1998 Keyboards
Fastway On Target 1987 Keyboards
Fastway Bad Bad Girls 1988 Keyboards
Forcefield Forcefield V 1991 Keyboards
Gary Moore The Loner 1987 Keyboards
Gary Moore Evening of the Blues 1992 Keyboards
Gary Moore Wild Frontier 1985 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Live At The Marquee 1987 Keyboards
Gary Moore Nuclear Attack 1985 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore After The War 1989 Keyboards
Gary Moore Run For Cover 1985 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Over the Hills & Far Away 1986 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Out in The Fields 1985 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Back on the Streets 1979 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Still Got The Blues 1994 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Walking By Myself 1994 Keyboards
Gary Moore Too Tired 1994 Keyboards
Gary Moore Oh Pretty Woman 1994 Keyboards
Gary Moore Ballads & Blues 1994 Keyboards
Gary Moore Corridors of Power 1982 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Rockin' Every Night 1983 Organ, Keyboards
Gary Moore Dirty Fingers 1984 Organ, Keyboards
Gilbert O'sullivan The Way Things Used To Be 1986 Keyboards
Glenn Tipton Baptism Of Fire 1997 Organ
Graham Bonnet Here Comes The Night 1994 Keyboards
Hard Rock Hits of the 80s 1999 Keyboards
Helix Wild in the Street 1987 Keyboards
Jagged Edge Fuel For Your Soul 1990 Keyboards
Jagged Edge You Don't Love Me 1990 Keyboards
Jethro Tull 20 Years 1988 Keyboards
Jim Rafferty The Bogeyman 1980 Keyboards
Jim Rafferty solid Logic 1979 Keyboards
Jim Rafferty Dont Talk Back 1978 Keyboards
Judas Priest Painkiller 1990 Keyboards
Kaizoku Kaizoku 1992 Keyboards
Katrina & The Waves Edge of The Land 1993 Keyboards
Katrina & The Waves Walk On Water 1997 Keyboards
Katrina & The Waves Love Shine A Light 1997 Keyboards
Katrina & The Waves Turn Around 1995 Keyboards
Living Loud Living Loud 2003 Keyboards
Michael Schenker Essential Michael Schenker Group 1992 Keyboards
Michael Schenker Group MSG 1980 Keyboards
Michael Shenker Into the Arena 1972/1995 2000 Keyboards
Micky Moody I Eat'Em for Breakkfast 2000 Keyboards
Millenium Millenium 1999 Keyboards
Monsters of Rock Castle Donnington 1980 Keyboards
Olaf Lenk's F.O.O.D Fun Stuff 2000 Keyboards
Ozzy Osbourne Bark At the Moon 1983 Keyboards
Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard Of Oz 1981 Keyboards, Clavinet
Ozzy Osbourne Diary of Madman/Bark at the Moon 1998 Keyboards
Ozzy Osbourne Other Side of Ozzy Osbourne 1984 Keyboards
Perfect Crime Blonde On Blonde 1990 Keyboards
Perfect Crime Love Me Or Leave Me 1990 Keyboards
Phenomena Phenomena 1985 Keyboards
Quatermass II Long Road 1997 Keyboards
Rafferty The Bogeyman 1980 Keyboards
Rainbow Can't Happen Here 1981 Keyboards
Rainbow Very Best of Rainbow 1997 Keyboards
Rainbow Final Vinyl 1986 Keyboards
Rainbow Down To Earth 1979 Keyboards
Rainbow since You Been Gone 1979 Keyboards
Rainbow Difficult To Cure & I Surrender 1981 Keyboards
Rainbow straight Between The Eyes 1982 Keyboards
Rainbow Jealous Lover 1981 Keyboards
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Friends Arrested 1982 Keyboards
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Guests Classic Police 1993 Keyboards
sinner Comin Out Fighting 1986 Keyboards
slave Raider What do You Know About Rock & Roll 1988 Keyboards
strife Back To Thunder 1978 Keyboards
Ten Babylon A.D. 2000 Keyboards
The Cage The Cage 1998 Keyboards
The Kick Tough Trip Thru Paradise 1994 Keyboards
The Snakes Live In Europe 1998 Keyboards
Thin Lizzy soldier of Fortune 1987 Keyboards
Tigertailz Bezerk 1990 Keyboards
Tigertailz Love Bomb Baby 1990 Keyboards
TWANG A Tribute to Hank & The Shadows 1996 Keyboards
UFO High Stakes & Dangerous Men 1992 Keyboards
Uli Jon Roth Transcendental Sky Guitar 2000 Keyboards
Whitesnake still of the NightIs this Love 1987 Keyboards
Whitesnake Slip of The Tongue 1989 Keyboards
Whitesnake Whitesnake's Greatest Hits 1994 Keyboards
Wild Strawberries Wild Strawberries 1986 Keyboards
Zeno Zeno 1986 Keyboards
