Linda McDonald is an American musician best known as the drummer of the all-female tribute band

The Iron Maidens The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 2001 as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The band currently consists of drummer Linda McDonald, bassist Wanda Ortiz, lead vocalist ...

(billed as the "World's Only Female Tribute to

Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...

"). In addition, she was a member of the

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...

tribute band The Little Dolls (billed as "All Female, All Ozzy, All The Time...Covering All Eras Of Ozzy") and the

cover band A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. Ne ...

s Valley Dolls, Crabby Patty (I'm So Unclear!) and Unholy Pink. Prior to those works, McDonald was the drummer/co-founder of the all-female heavy metal band Phantom Blue from its inception in 1987 to its demise in 2001.

Biography

Of Irish and Japanese descent, Linda McDonald was inspired to take up instruments after listening to her brother's copy of

's ''

Maiden Japan ''Maiden Japan'', released as ''Heavy Metal Army'' in Japan, is a live EP by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The title is a pun of Deep Purple's live album '' Made in Japan''. Release There are at least two different versions of ...

'' live EP. While she took up piano, guitar and violin, her self-taught drumming skills stood out the most. She attended Summer Session at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood after graduating high school, followed by some courses in drum set, harmony and theory and ear training at the Dick Grove School of Music in the San Fernando Valley. Following a short stint with a three-piece female band called Andromeda, McDonald became a founding member of Phantom Blue. And while the band found some success with their self-titled debut album in 1989 and their second release, "Built to Perform" on Geffen Records in 1993, produced by the legendary Max Norman. Their last recording was the EP '' Full Blown'' (1998) before they went their separate ways in 2001. Shortly after Phantom Blue's demise, McDonald-along with bandmate Josephine Soegijanty and e
Bandit
member

Sara Marsh The Iron Maidens are an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, formed in 2001 as an all-female tribute act to English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The band currently consists of drummer Linda McDonald, bassist Wanda Ortiz, lead vocalist ...

– joined vocalist Jenny Warren and bassist Melanie Sisneros to form

, an all-female tribute band to

. McDonald has remained the original band member since then. As a member of The Iron Maidens, McDonald's stage name is "Nikki McBurrain," an amalgamation of Iron Maiden's former drummer

Clive Burr Clive Ronald Burr (8 March 1957 – 13 March 2013) was an English drummer. He was a member of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden from 1979 to 1982. Career Previously a member of Samson, Burr joined Iron Maiden in 1979. Auditioning and joining ...

and their current drummer

Nicko McBrain Michael Henry "Nicko" McBrain (born 5 June 1952) is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the heavy metal band Iron Maiden since 1982. Having played in small pub bands since 1966 from the age of 14, McBrain paid his bills after grad ...

. And much like McBrain with his drum kit, McDonald has hers decorated with a

Sooty Sooty is a British children's television media franchise created by Harry Corbett incorporating primarily television and stage shows. The franchise originated with his fictional glove puppet character introduced to television in 1955, with the ...

puppet. McDonald's favorite Iron Maiden songs are "

Rime of the Ancient Mariner ''The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'' (originally ''The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere'') is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–1798 and published in 1798 in the first edition of ''Lyrical Ballad ...

", "

Children of the Damned ''Children of the Damned'' is a 1964 British black-and-white science fiction horror film, a thematic sequel to 1960s '' Village of the Damned'', which concerns a group of children with similar psi-powers to those in the earlier film. The film ...

" and "The Prisoner" In addition to The Iron Maidens, McDonald was a member of various cover bands Crabby Patty (I'm So Unclear!), Unholy Pink, Valley Dolls and a female

tribute called The Little Dolls and recorded with and did several dates with former Phantom Blue member Michelle Meldrum's band called Meldrum. McDonald, along with Maidens bandmate Courtney Cox, joined former Phantom Blue members

Kim Nielsen-Parsons Kim Nielsen (born 1964) is an American hard rock bassist known for being a member of the all-female band Phantom Blue. Biography Kim Nielsen first picked up the bass guitar at the age of 12. In the years to come, she played with local bands i ...

, Gigi Hangach and Tina Wood for a reunion at a benefit concert on May 26, 2009, at the

Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed "the Whisky") is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boul ...

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

. The concert was for the benefit of brain research in memory of Phantom Blue co-founder

Michelle Meldrum Michelle Meldrum (September 28, 1968 – May 21, 2008) was an American hard rock guitarist known for being a member of the bands Phantom Blue and Meldrum. Biography Meldrum was born in Detroit, Michigan, to a family of musicians and actors ...

, who died of a cystic growth in her brain on May 21, 2008. Aside from Clive Burr and Nicko McBrain, McDonald also cites Simon Phillips,

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove,J ...

Alex Van Halen Alexander Arthur Van Halen (; born May 8, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the Rock music, rock band Van Halen. The band was formed in 1972 by Alex Van Halen, his younger brother Eddie Van Halen, Eddie, ...

and

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

among her influences. Her musical preferences vary from

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...

System of a Down System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...

. An avid pet lover, McDonald has a dog, a cat and a parakeet in her home.

Discography

Phantom Blue

* '' Phantom Blue'' (1989) * ''My Misery'' (single, 1993) * '' Built to Perform'' (1993) * '' Prime Cuts & Glazed Donuts'' (1995) * '' Caught Live!'' (1997) * '' Full Blown'' (1998)

The Iron Maidens

* ''

World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden ''The Iron Maidens: World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden'' is the debut album by American all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. The album features selected tracks originally performed by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Michael Ken ...

'' (2005/2006) * '' Route 666'' (2007) * ''

The Root of All Evil Root of all evil or Root of evil may refer to: Music * ''The Root of All Evil'' (album), a 2009 album by Swedish death metal band Arch Enemy * ''The Root of All Evil'' (EP), Japanese work by all-female tribute band Iron Maidens * "The Root of Al ...

'' (2008) * ''

Metal Gathering Tour Live in Japan 2010 ''Metal Gathering Tour Live in Japan 2010'' is a Japan-only live video by the all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens. Recorded live during their tour in Japan in January 2010, it was the band's first release with new lead vocalist Kirsten Rosenb ...

'' (video, 2010)

The Little Dolls

* '' Girls Got Rhythm!'' (Various artists) (2006) ** " I Don't Know"

Collaborations

* ''Warmth in The Wilderness'' (Tribute to

Jason Becker Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He was ...

) * ''Transmission'' (Carina Alfie) * ''Electric Fuzz'' (Carina Alfie) * ''

Blowin' Up the Machine ''Blowin' Up the Machine'' is the second album by the Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Meldrum, featuring a modified lineup compared to that of their 2001 debut ''Loaded Mental Cannon''. The album features a guest appearance by Motörhead vocal ...

'' (

Meldrum Meldrum was a multinational heavy metal band formed by ex- Phantom Blue guitarist Michelle Meldrum. History American guitarist Michelle Meldrum started her first band Wargod with Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan, later going on to form ...

)

Equipment endorsers

Linda McDonald currently endorses

Paiste Paiste (English pronunciation: , ) is a Swiss musical instrument manufacturing company. It is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. is an Estonian word that means "shine". Apart from cymbals and gong ...

cymbals;

Vic Firth Everett Joseph "Vic" Firth (June 2, 1930 – July 26, 2015) was an American musician and the founder of Vic Firth Company (formerly Vic Firth, Inc.), a company that makes percussion mallet, percussion sticks and mallets. Biography Vic Firt ...

drum sticks;

Drum Workshop Drum Workshop, Inc. (also known as DW Drums or DW) is an American drum kit and hardware manufacturing company based in Oxnard, California. Current products by DW include drum sets, snare drums, and hardware. History Drum Workshop was founded ...

drums, pedals and hardware; Humes And Berg drum cases; Aquarian Drum Heads ; NoNuts cymbal sleeves. In the past, she used

Tama drums Tama Drums, (from Japanese: (Kanji), (Kana), read as ) is a brand of drum kits and hardware manufactured and marketed by the Japanese musical instrument company, Hoshino Gakki. Tama's research and development of products, along with producti ...

while touring with Phantom Blue.

Media

McDonald has been featured in ''

The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'', ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'', ''

Metal Edge ''Metal Edge'' was a magazine covering heavy metal music published by Zenbu Media. The magazine was founded in the summer of 1985, during the height of glam metal's success. Zenbu Media acquired ''Metal Edge'' in February 2007. Both ''Metal Edge ...

'', ''

Modern Drummer ''Modern Drummer'' is a monthly publication targeting the interests of drummers and percussionists. The magazine features interviews, equipment reviews, and columns offering advice on technique, as well as information for the general public. ''Mo ...

'', ''

DRUM! {{italic title ''DRUM!'' is a North American educational drumming magazine. It features artist profiles, product reviews, lessons and advanced transcriptions covering rock, pop and related styles of music. The magazine was launched in 1991 wi ...

Magazine'', ''

Kerrang ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off ...

'', ''Rip'', ''Aardshock'', ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'', ''

L.A. Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...

'', ''L.A. New Times'', ''OC Weekly'', ''Chicago Local Live Magazine'', ''Portland Tribune'', ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'', ''

Hustler Hustler or hustlers may also refer to: Professions * Hustler, an American slang word, e.g., for a: ** Con man, a practitioner of confidence tricks ** Drug dealer, seller of illegal drugs ** Male prostitute ** Pimp ** Business man, more general ...

'', ''Orange County Register'', ''

The National Enquirer The ''National Enquirer'' is an American tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1926, the newspaper has undergone a number of changes over the years. The ''National Enquirer'' openly acknowledges that it pays sources for tips, a common practice in tabl ...

'', ''

FHM ''FHM'' (For Him Magazine) is a British multinational men's lifestyle magazine that was published in several countries. Its master edition contained features such as the ''FHM'' 100 Sexiest Women in the World, which has featured models, actres ...

'', ''

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...

'', two

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

videos,

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's ''Livin' Large'' TV Show, ''54321'' on

Fox Sports Net Fox Sports Networks (FSN), formerly known as Fox Sports Net, was the collective name for a group of regional sports channels in the United States. Formed in 1996 by News Corporation, the networks were acquired by The Walt Disney Company on Mar ...

, two ''Hard N' Heavy'' video magazine episodes, '' Gibson Lifestyle'',

KCAL-TV KCAL-TV (channel 9) is an independent television station in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is owned by the CBS News and Stations group alongside CBS West Coast flagship KCBS-TV (channel 2). Both stations share studios at the C ...

's ''9 on the Town'', and ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

''.

References

External links

Linda McDonald
on Myspace
2020 Interview – Australian Rock Show Podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonald, Linda 1969 births Living people American women drummers American heavy metal drummers People from Great Falls, Montana American people of Irish descent American musicians of Japanese descent Musicians from Montana 21st-century American women Women in metal