Don Airey

 

(born in Sunderland, England)
DonAirey.com

Has been a player on the rock scene for over 50 years, notching up almost 200 album credits and associations with 20 or more major bands including Cozy Powell’s Hammer, Colosseum II, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Jethro Tull ELO and, last but not least, Deep Purple.

Don came to Purple’s rescue mid 2001 to help out for an injured Jon Lord, who subsequently since retired, passing Don the mantle of the Deep Purple hammond organ. 

“The thought crossed my mind a few years ago ‘If Jon retired…?…. Naaaah ……. They’d never ask me’. So when he did and they did, I jumped at the chance and it exceeded my expectations from the first number I played with them, Woman from Tokyo, at the Skanderborg Festival in 2001”