Don Airey

Don Airey

Don Airey, keyboardist extraordinaire, has been a major player on the heavy rock scene for nearly 25 years, having worked on well over a hundred albums, and been a member of countless bands. He worked with so many legendary musicians that it is almost impossible to keep track.

As a teenager he passed all the piano grades and continued his musical education at Nottingham University and the Royal Northern College of Music. He decided to branch out from playing classical music and by 1972 he had his own band playing on cruise liners around the world.

In 1974, he joined Cozy Powell's band Hammer, followed by Colosseum II, together with Gary Moore and Neil Murray, a progressive jazz-rock outfit.

Don was a member of Rainbow in the late 70s and early 80s. During this time he also worked with Ozzy Osborne, Michael Schenker Group and Cozy Powell.

From 1985-1989, Don did an impressive numbers of sessions with Gary Moore, Whitesnake and many others and toured with Jethro Tull. In this time, he also wrote and recorded his first solo-album K2.

Gary Moore hired him again in 1990 to record the best selling blues album ever "Still Got the Blues", and be part of his touring band. In 1991, Don set up Don Airey Music, which over the years has provided many corporate IDs, soundtracks etc.

In 1996, he was on tour for most of the year around the world with ELO Part II - the reformed Electric Light Orchestra. Three years later Don's solo album was re-mastered and re-packaged and got a worldwide re-release.

Now he is a member of the great hardrock band Company of Snakes, in which some of the original members of Whitesnake are reunited, including Neil Murray. After a fantastic live CD, a studio album is to follow in September 2001.

Don guests on keyboards on the ballad "Spread My Wings" on Empire's CD "Hypnotica".