Brian Downey (drummer)
Brian Downey | |
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![]() Downey performing with Thin Lizzy at Aberdeen Music Hall, 6 January 2011 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Brian Michael Downey |
Born | (1951-01-27) 27 January 1951 (age 73) Dublin, Ireland |
Genres | Hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal |
Occupation | Drummer |
Years active | 1967–present |
Formerly of | Thin Lizzy, Funky Junction |
Brian Michael Downey (born 27 January 1951[1][2]) is an Irish drummer. He was a founding member of the rock band Thin Lizzy and the only other constant in the band aside from leader Phil Lynott until their disbandment in 1983.[3] Downey also co-wrote several Thin Lizzy songs. Allmusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia has argued that Downey is "certainly one of the most underrated [rock drummers] of his generation".[4]
Career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Brian_Downey_-_TopPop_1974_%28cropped%29.png/150px-Brian_Downey_-_TopPop_1974_%28cropped%29.png)
Growing up in Crumlin, Dublin, Brian's early musical influences came from his father who played in a local pipe band and loved jazz, and also from his 1960s heroes: The Kinks, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.[1] In his youth, Downey met friend, co-founder and bass guitarist Phil Lynott, who attended the same school. Before forming Thin Lizzy, Downey had been in numerous school bands, beginning with The Liffey Beats, Mod Con Cave Dwellers, and briefly The Black Eagles (with Lynott). He moved on to performing in a local band, Sugar Shack, and then was persuaded by Lynott to join him in another band, Orphanage.[5] Upon meeting guitarist Eric Bell, the trio formed Thin Lizzy. Although the line-up of musicians within the band changed over the years, with the exception of Lynott, for the next thirteen years Downey remained the only other permanent member of the band, as well as drumming on Lynott's solo albums.
After Lynott's death in 1986, Downey played in the tribute Thin Lizzy line-up with John Sykes, Scott Gorham, Darren Wharton and Marco Mendoza, but had been absent from subsequent Thin Lizzy touring bands. After Sykes' departure from the group in 2009, guitarist Scott Gorham created another line-up of Thin Lizzy. Downey, Mendoza and Wharton rejoined, along with two new members: Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell and former vocalist from The Almighty, Ricky Warwick. This version of Thin Lizzy started an extensive world tour in January 2010 and continued to tour until early 2013, with new permanent guitarist Damon Johnson eventually replacing Richard Fortus. Gorham had stated that the band members were considering recording new material,[6] and this project eventually emerged under the Black Star Riders name, with which Downey chose not to be involved due to the pressures of consistent touring.[7]
Downey was a guest at the unveiling of Lynott's statue in 2005, and drummed for Gary Moore at the tribute concert that followed. Downey also appeared on Moore's 2007 album, Close As You Get, and subsequent tour.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Brian_Downey%27s_Alive_%26_Dangerous.jpg/220px-Brian_Downey%27s_Alive_%26_Dangerous.jpg)
In early 2016, Downey formed a trio, later a four-piece band, called Brian Downey's Alive and Dangerous. The quartet initially consisted of Downey, bassist/lead vocalist Matt Wilson, and guitarists Brian Grace and Phil Edgar. The band have toured the UK and Europe, and mostly perform Thin Lizzy songs. Grace and Edgar have since been replaced by two new guitarists, Michal Kulbalka and Joe Merriman.[8]
Discography
With Thin Lizzy
- Thin Lizzy (1971)
- Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972)
- Vagabonds of the Western World (1973)
- Nightlife (1974)
- Fighting (1975)
- Jailbreak (1976)
- Johnny the Fox (1976)
- Bad Reputation (1977)
- Live and Dangerous (1978)
- Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979)
- Chinatown (1980)
- Renegade (1981)
- Thunder and Lightning (1983)
- Life (1983)
Other albums
- Funky Junction – A Tribute to Deep Purple (1973)
- Gary Moore – Back on the Streets (1978)
- Phil Lynott – Solo in Soho (1980)
- Phil Lynott – The Philip Lynott Album (1982)
- John Sykes – "Please Don't Leave Me" (1982)
- Various Artists – Straight to Hell (1987)
- The Baby Snakes – Sweet Hunger (1988)
- Don Baker – Almost Illegal (1989)
- Gary Moore – After the War (1989)
- Gary Moore – Still Got the Blues (1990)
- Spirit Nation – Spirit Nation (1992)
- Blues Up Front – All the Way from Dublin (1999)
- Gary Moore – Close as You Get (2007)
References
- ^ a b "Brian Downey". The Official Thin Lizzy Website. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
- ^ "Brian Downey". Drumsoloartist.com. 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ Prato, Greg (27 January 1951). "Biography at". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- ^ "Bad Reputation". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- ^ "Thinlizzy.org". Thinlizzy.org. 27 January 1951. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
- ^ "700 unreleased Thin Lizzy songs discovered". NME. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ^ "Thin Lizzy to End, Black Star Riders to Begin". noise11.com. 20 December 2012.
- ^ "Alive And Dangerous". Official website. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
- v
- t
- e
- Phil Lynott
- Brian Downey
- Eric Bell
- Eric Wrixon
- Gary Moore
- Brian Robertson
- Snowy White
- John Sykes
- Andy Gee
- John Cann
- Dave Flett
- Mark Nauseef
- Marco Mendoza
- Randy Gregg
- Francesco DiCosmo
- Tommy Aldridge
- Michael Lee
- Vivian Campbell
- Richard Fortus
- Midge Ure
- Tom Hamilton
- Thin Lizzy
- Shades of a Blue Orphanage
- Vagabonds of the Western World
- Nightlife
- Fighting
- Jailbreak
- Johnny the Fox
- Bad Reputation
- Black Rose: A Rock Legend
- Chinatown
- Renegade
- Thunder and Lightning
- Live and Dangerous
- Life
- BBC Radio One Live in Concert
- The Peel Sessions
- The Boys Are Back in Town: Live in Australia
- One Night Only
- UK Tour '75
- Still Dangerous
- Remembering – Part 1
- The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans
- The Adventures of Thin Lizzy
- Dedication
- Wild One
- Whiskey in the Jar
- Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels
- Greatest Hits
- The Definitive Collection
- "The Farmer"
- "Whiskey in the Jar"
- "The Rocker"
- "Still in Love with You"
- "The Boys Are Back in Town"
- "Jailbreak"
- "Cowboy Song"
- "Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)"
- "Waiting for an Alibi"
- "Do Anything You Want To"
- "Sarah"
- "Killer on the Loose"
- "Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)"
- "Angel of Death"
- "Cold Sweat"
- "The Sun Goes Down"
- Live and Dangerous
- Thin Lizzy Live at Sydney Harbour '78
- One Night in Dublin: A Tribute to Phil Lynott