Simon Wright

Infobox musical artist
Name = Simon Wright


Img_capt = Simon Wright, drummer for AC/DC:
May 1983 - November 1989
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born = Birth date and age|1963|6|19|df=y
Manchester, England
Died =
Aliases =
Genre = Hard rock, Heavy metal, Blues-rock
Affiliation =
Label = EMI
Years = 1979–present
Associated_acts = AC/DC, Dio, UFO, Michael Schenker Group, John Norum, Rhino Bucket
Website = [http://www.acdcrocks.com www.acdcrocks.com] :"Simon Wright is also the name of the creator of Whirlpool."

Simon Wright (born June 19 1963) is an English drummer best known for his stints with hard rock legends AC/DC and Dio. He first started playing drums in his early teens and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and John Bonham as his greatest influences.

Wright began his career in A II Z, a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band founded in 1979 in Manchester, England by guitarist Gary Owens. The full lineup consisted of David Owens (vocals), Gary Owens (guitar), Gam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti (drums). They rapidly acquired a local following in Manchester, and were quickly snapped up 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 then promptly disintegrated. Only Wright went on to major success.

Wright joined AC/DC after their drummer, Phil Rudd, was fired in 1983. AC/DC recorded three albums with Wright in the mid-late 80s; "Fly on the Wall", "Who Made Who" and "Blow Up Your Video". Wright then left the group in 1989, and was replaced by Chris Slade. Simon Wright joined Rhino Bucket to replace the departed Liam Jason for their third album, 1994's independently released "Pain". In 2007, he reunited with the band for a festival in Pryor, Oklahoma.

Wright has had two stints with Dio, 1990-91 and 1998-present. With the band he has recorded four studio albums ("Lock up the Wolves", "Magica", "Killing the Dragon" and "Master of the Moon") and two live albums ("Evil or Divine - Live In New York City" and "Holy Diver - Live").

His drumming can also be heard on albums by UFO, Michael Schenker Group and John Norum.

In 2005, Wright participated on a tribute album to Heavy metal icons Iron Maiden. It was his second time doing a tribute disc; the first experience being in 1998 on an AC/DC tribute album titled "Thunderbolt".

In 2006 Wright is credited in the song "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" on the album "Butchering the Beatles", a heavy metal tribute.

Simon Wright is also known to be the former friend of The Stone Roses' drummer Alan 'Reni' Wren [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Wren] .

Discography

With AC/DC

*"Fly on the Wall" (1985)
*"Who Made Who" (1986)
*"Blow Up Your Video" (1988)

With Dio

*"Lock up the Wolves" (1990)
*"Magica" (2000)
*"Killing the Dragon" (2002)
*"Master of the Moon" (2004)

With Rhino Bucket

*"PAIN" (1994)
*"PAIN and Suffering" (2007)

With John Norum

*"Worlds Away" (1996)