Biography Aynsley Dunbar

Aynsley was born on January 10, 1946, in Liverpool, England. Over his career, he has demonstrated the ability of playing many different styles including jazz, blues, fusion, rock and progressive rock. Aynsley has had over 30 gold and platinum records from over 112 albums.

Playing drums since the age of eleven, Aynsley first made waves in the U.S. when he joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1966 with Peter Green and John McVie, then drumming for the Jeff Beck Group, with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood. In 1967, Dunbar formed a blues-rock band named The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, and later formed Blue Whale, and met Frank Zappa. After moving to America and living in Zappa’s garage, he and Frank created Chunga's Revenge. He joined David Bowie in the 1973-1974 time frame for the albums Pin-Ups and Diamond Dogs, and also recorded Lou Reed's famous session album Berlin with Jack Bruce, Steve Winwood, and Tony Levin. In 1974 he hooked up with Santana guitarist Neal Schon and manager Herbie Herbert and joined the recently-formed Journey where he co-wrote four albums, including the highly acclaimed rock-fusion instrumental Kohoutek, Of a Lifetime, which features Gregg Rolie vocals with high-impact solos, Hustler, which featured Aynsley's first use of double kick drums, and such mega-hits as Lights, Feeling That Way, Anytime, Patiently, Something to Hide and Wheel in the Sky.

In 1976, Aynsley played on rocker Sammy Hagar's album Nine On a Ten Inch Scale and played for the second time with Nils Lofgren to drum up his hit Back it Up on Cry Tough. Aynsley next joined Jefferson Starship in 1978, promptly bringing the band a new hit album with Freedom at Point Zero and such hits as Jane, Girl with the Hungry Eyes, and the mega hit, Find Your Way Back. He stayed with Jefferson Starship, touring and recording through 1982's Winds of Change. At the request of David Coverdale, over lunch at Sunset's La Dome, Aynsley was convinced to leave retirement to join Whitesnake in 1985. Aynsley played drums on the band's commercial breakthrough album, Whitesnake 1987, producing another string of hits, Still of the Night, What is Love and Here I go Again.

Aynsley hit the road again in 1994, playing and recording with such artists as Pat Travers, UFO, John Lee Hooker, Michael Schenker, and collaborating with many of the world's top musicians on tribute albums to Van Halen, Steve Ray Vaughn, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Queen and most recently Metallica.

No other modern rock / jazz / blues / fusion drummer has played with as many successful bands and musicians as Aynsley Dunbar. Although Aynsley has achieved such professional success, tragedy struck him June 1999, when his youngest son Dash was diagnosed with brain cancer. Sadly, Dash passed away on May 9, 2000. Dash's courageous fight proves to be an inspiration for Aynsley to keep pushing on, never to give up his dream... to continue creating music and to share his musical talent with the world.

Creative Commons By-SA License