Simon Wright (born 19 June 1963) is an English drummer best known for his work with rock bands

AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and heavy metal, but the band calls it ...

and Dio. He started playing drums at the age of 13 and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and

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 ...

as his greatest influences. He was also the drummer for the

Rhino Bucket Rhino Bucket is a hard rock band from Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. History The band was formed in February 1988 by Georg Dolivo (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Reeve Downes (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Greg Fields (lead guitar, back ...

and Operation: Mindcrime bands.

Career

Wright began his career with local band Tora Tora (not to be confused with the American glam metal group), before joining

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

group

A II Z A II Z were an English heavy metal band founded in 1979 in Manchester, England, by the guitarist Gary Owens. The original line-up consisted of David Owens ( vocals), Gary Owens ( guitar), Cam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti ( drums). For a short ...

, a

new wave of British heavy metal The new wave of British heavy metal (commonly abbreviated as NWOBHM) was a nationwide musical movement that started in England in the mid-1970s and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. Journalist Geoff Barton coined the term i ...

band founded in 1979 in Manchester, England by guitarist Gary Owens. The full line-up consisted of David Owens (vocals), Gary Owens (guitar), Gam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti (drums). They acquired a local following in Manchester, and were signed by Polydor Records, eager to cash in on the exploding NWOBHM boom. A single live album, ''The Witch of Berkley'', followed in 1980. Reti was subsequently replaced by Wright. The band disintegrated and Wright went on to perform in Tytan and recorded on their full-length debut album ''Rough Justice'', however; that band also dissolved shortly before the release of the debut. Wright, just a month shy of turning twenty years old, joined AC/DC after their drummer, Phil Rudd, left in May 1983. Wright responded to an ad at the urging of a friend that AC/DC had put out in a magazine called Sounds in England that stated "Rock Drummer Wanted. If you don't hit hard, don't apply." Wright played three songs at the audition. Two hours after the audition, Wright got the call that he had gotten the gig. AC/DC recorded three albums with Wright in the mid-late 80s; '' Fly on the Wall'', '' Who Made Who'' and ''

Blow Up Your Video ''Blow Up Your Video'' is the eleventh studio album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the ''AC/DC Remasters'' series. Recording Writing sessions for ''Blow Up Your Video'' took place in London's ...

''. Wright left the group in November 1989 to join Dio, and was replaced by

Chris Slade Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along with ...

. Wright joined

when he wasn't working with Dio to replace the departed Liam Jason for their third album, 1994's independently released ''Pain''. In 2007, he reunited with the band and is featured on their latest album ''

The Hardest Town ''The Hardest Town'' is the fifth studio album by American hard rock band Rhino Bucket, released in May 2009. It is their second album to feature Simon Wright (formerly of AC/DC) as drummer. The band played over 100 shows in support of the albu ...

''. Wright has had two stints with Dio, 1990–91 and 1998–2010. With the band he has recorded four studio albums (''

Lock up the Wolves ''Lock Up the Wolves'' is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Dio, released on May 15, 1990. It displayed a complete change of musician line-up over the previous album, '' Dream Evil'', including 18-year-old guitarist Rowan Ro ...

'', '' Magica'', ''

Killing the Dragon ''Killing the Dragon'' is the ninth studio album by American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band Dio (band), Dio. It was released May 21, 2002 through Spitfire Records and was produced by frontman Ronnie James Dio. The album was reissued in 2007 ...

'' and ''

Master of the Moon ''Master of the Moon'' is the tenth and final studio album by American heavy metal band Dio. It was released on August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV/Steamhammer and on September 7, 2004 in the US through Sanctuary Records. It was produced b ...

'') and two live albums ('' Evil or Divine - Live In New York City'' and '' Holy Diver - Live''). His drumming can be heard on albums by

UFO An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are id ...

Michael Schenker Group The Michael Schenker Group (often abbreviated as MSG) are a guitar-oriented hard rock band, formed in London in 1979 by former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker. In 1986, Schenker and vocalist Robin McAuley formed the McAuley Sche ...

and

John Norum John Norum (born 23 February 1964) is a Norwegian-Swedish guitarist and one of the founders of the rock band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a career as a solo artist. Biography As an infant, Norum moved with his p ...

. In 2005, Wright participated on a

tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...

album to Heavy metal icons

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 ...

. It was his second of three times doing a tribute disc; the first experience being in 1998 on an AC/DC tribute album titled ''Thunderbolt'', while in 2013 he took part in the DIO Tribute album "This Is Your Life". In 2006, Wright is credited in the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" on the album ''Butchering the Beatles'', a heavy metal tribute. In August 2009, Wright teamed up with

Joe Lynn Turner Joe Lynn Turner (born Joseph Arthur Mark Linquito, August 2, 1951) is an American singer known for his work in the hard rock bands Rainbow, Yngwie J. Malmsteen and Deep Purple. During his career, Turner fronted and played guitar with pop rock ...

Phil Soussan Philip Raphael “Phil” Soussan (born 23 June 1961, London, England) is a British bass guitarist, songwriter and producer who has gained notoriety as a member of a host of famed rock and roll bands, including some who have been frontman, front ...

and

Carlos Cavazo Carlos Cavazo (born July 8, 1957) is an American guitarist best known as the guitarist for Quiet Riot during their commercial peak. He has also played with Snow, 3 Legged Dogg, Hollywood Allstarz, and Ratt. Biography Cavazo was born in Atlant ...

as part of the Big Noize project, playing shows in Iraq and Kuwait. On 25 January 2013, it was announced that Wright had joined

Geoff Tate Geoff Tate (born Jeffrey Wayne Tate, January 14, 1959; he later changed his first name to Geoffery or Geoffrey) (Pp. 11, 48). is an American singer and songwriter. He rose to fame with the progressive metal band Queensrÿche, who had commercial ...

's version of

Queensrÿche Queensrÿche is an American heavy metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record. The original lineup ...

, later known as Operation: Mindcrime, after Tate's dismissal from the band. In 2018, Wright was announced as the drummer of Frontiers Records project called Dream Child with

Craig Goldy Thomas "Craig" Goldy (born November 6, 1961) is an American musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Dio and Giuffria. Early musical life Goldy was born in San Diego, California. Before Dio, he played in the bands Vengeance, R ...

on guitar.

Equipment

Drum kit

Wright is an endorser of DW drums. He uses the collectors maple series.
His drum sizes are: * 18x22 bass drums (x2) * 10x12, 11x13, 13x15, 14x18 Tom-Toms * 6.5x14 Edge Snare * 6x14 Collector's Maple Snare * 5.5x14 Craviotto Solid Maple Snare * 5000TD3 Delta3 Turbo Single Bass Drum Pedal (x2) * 5500TD Delta Turbo Hi-Hat Stand * 9300 Snare Drum Stand * 9934 Double Tom/Cymbal Stand * 9700 Straight/Boom Cymbal Stand (x5) * 9100 Drum Throne * 799 DogBone (x2) In the past, Wright used

Sonor Sonor is a German musical instrument manufacturing company headquartered in Bad Berleburg. Established in 1875, it is one of the oldest percussion companies in the world. Sonor currently manufactures drum kits and hardware. Apart from drum ki ...

drums.

Drumheads

Wright also uses Evans Drum heads.
Products used: * AF Patch – Kevlar Single Pedal * 13" Onyx 2-ply * 15" G2 Coated * 18" G2 Coated * 14" Hazy 300 * 15" EC Resonant * 18" EC Resonant * 13" G1 Clear

Cymbals

Wright uses

Sabian Cymbals Sabian is a Canadian and Armenian cymbal manufacturing company established in 1981 in Meductic, New Brunswick, where it is still headquartered. Sabian is considered one of the ''big four'' manufacturers of cymbals, along with Zildjian, Meinl and ...

. * 14" AAX Metal Hats w/ Sizzle Bottom Hat * 18" AA China * 16" AA Metal Crash * 18" AAX Metal Crash * 19" AAX Metal Crash * 22" AAX Heavy Ride * 20" AA China * 20" AA Rock Crash * 20" AA Metal Crash w/ Sizzles

Sticks

* Vic Firth. * American Classic Metal Nylon (CMN)

Discography

With Tora Tora

"Red Sun Setting" 7"

With A II Z

"I'm the One Who Loves You" 7" (Polydor 1981)

With AC/DC

*'' Fly on the Wall'' (1985) *'' Who Made Who'' (1986) *''

'' (1988)

With Dio

*''

Lock Up the Wolves ''Lock Up the Wolves'' is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Dio, released on May 15, 1990. It displayed a complete change of musician line-up over the previous album, ''Dream Evil'', including 18-year-old guitarist Rowan Rob ...

'' (1990) *'' Magica'' (2000) *''

'' (2002) *''

'' (2004) *''

Evil or Divine Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is generally ...

'' (2005) *'' Holy Diver - Live'' (2006)

With UFO

* '' Live on Earth'' (1998/2003) * ''

Covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

'' (2000)

With Rhino Bucket

*''

PAIN Pain is a distressing feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli. The International Association for the Study of Pain defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, ...

'' (1994) *'' PAIN & Suffering'' (2007) *''

'' (2009)

With John Norum

*'' Worlds Away'' (1996)

With Tim "Ripper" Owens

* '' Play My Game'' (2009)

With Mogg/Way

* ''Chocolate Box'' (1999)

With Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche

* ''

Frequency Unknown ''Frequency Unknown'' is a studio album released under the name Queensrÿche; it was released by Geoff Tate's temporary version of the band, before a settlement determined that only the other band members were entitled to use the name Queensrÿche ...

'' (2013)

Instructional

*''

Star Licks Productions Star Licks Productions (also known as StarLicks) was an instructional music publishing company conceived by Mark Freed and co-founded by Andrew Cross and Robert Decker. The company was at the forefront of creating instructional videos featuring we ...

'' (2000)

Operation: Mindcrime

* '' The Key'' (2015) * ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...

'' (2016) * '' The New Reality'' (2017)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Simon English heavy metal drummers English rock drummers AC/DC members UFO (band) members Musicians from the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham People from Oldham Musicians from London 1963 births Living people Dio (band) members Operation: Mindcrime (band) members