Donald Smith Airey (born 21 June 1948) is an English musician. He came to prominence as the keyboardist of the rock band Rainbow during 1979–1982. He has been the keyboardist of Deep Purple since 2002, after the retirement of Jon Lord. In addition to his tenures with Rainbow and Deep Purple, he has had a long and productive career playing with many other rock and metal acts, including Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Whitesnake, Saxon, Wishbone Ash, Colosseum II, Ten, Sinner, Michael Schenker, Empire, Brian May, Divlje jagode and Living Loud. He has also worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Early life Inspired by his father, Norman Airey, Don Airey took a love for music at a young age and was trained in classical piano from the age of seven. He continued his love for music by earning a degree at the University of Nottingham and a diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music (where he studied under Ryszard Bakst). Following his studies, he formed a band and worked on P&O cruise liners travelling the world.
Career
1970s work In 1971 he moved to London and joined Cozy Powell's band Hammer. In 1975 he joined Jon Hiseman's highly influential jazz rock band Colosseum II, along with Gary Moore, Neil Murray, Mike Starrs and later John Mole. They made three albums and also formed the core band for Andrew Lloyd Webber's album Variations, a set of variations on a theme by Paganini. Don worked on several albums with solo artists and was a session musician on the 1978 Black Sabbath album Never Say Die! Soon after, he joined guitarist Ritchie Blackmore's band, Rainbow, and featured on Gary Moore's solo debut Back on the Streets. With Rainbow he contributed to two hit albums, Down to Earth and Difficult to Cure.
1980s work After leaving Rainbow in 1981, Airey joined with Ozzy Osbourne for a three-year stint. He had played on the 1980 Blizzard of Ozz album. He then played on the Diary of a Madman Tour from 1981 to 1982 and was also the only witness to Randy Rhoads's death. Airey also helped with the albums Speak of the Devil (released in 1982) and Bark at the Moon (released in 1983). Airey joined Jethro Tull in 1987 for their tour in support of Crest of a Knave. The same year also saw the release of Whitesnake's multi-platinum Whitesnake, on which Airey played keyboards. Soon after he quit the band to record the solo album K2 – Tales of Triumph and Tragedy. In it he plays with Gary Moore and Keith Airey – guitars, Cozy Powell – drums, Laurence Cottle – bass, Chris (Hamlet) Thompson, Colin Blunstone, Mel Galley, and Genki Hitomi – vocals.
1990s onwards In 1990, Airey recorded keyboard parts for several songs on Judas Priest's album Painkiller. However, because Judas Priest wanted the album to have a heavier sound than their previous work, only one song on Painkiller, "A Touch of Evil", prominently features Airey. In a 2020 interview, Airey revealed that he also played most of the album's bass parts on a Minimoog, as Judas Priest bassist Ian Hill was unable to participate in recording sessions due to illness. He also toured with the Japanese heavy metal band Anthem, in 1990 and 1992.
In 1997 he arranged and played on "Love Shine a Light" by Katrina and the Waves, conducting the accompanying orchestra at the Eurovision Song Contest. The song won the contest.
In 1999 he joined Manchester-based melodic hard rock band Ten where he played keyboards on the album Babylon, which was released in 2000. He also toured with the band in support of the new album.
Airey played keyboards on the song "Darkness Be My Friend" by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, released on the 2002 reissue of Dickinson's debut solo album Tattooed Millionaire. Airey also played keyboards on At Vance's Olaf Lenk's first solo album Sunset Cruise. In 2006 Airey featured on Gary Moore's release Old New Ballads Blues contributing to all tracks.
In 2008 Airey released his second solo album, A Light in the Sky and recently it has been announced that another solo album from Airey is set to premiere in 2011.
In early 2014 Airey joined hard rock band Hollywood Monsters where he played keyboards (Hammond B3 organ) on the track "Move On" on the album "Big Trouble" which was released in 2014 on Mausoleum Records. The album features Steph Honde on vocals and guitars, Vinny Appice on drums, Tim Bogert on bass and Paul Di'Anno on lead vocals on the bonus track.
On 18 January 2017, Airey was inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History.
In January 2020, Airey played two shows with Uriah Heep, filling in for Phil Lanzon after the keyboardist's son died.
Deep Purple
Airey joined Deep Purple in 2001 to fill in for an injured Jon Lord, who subsequently retired from the band. Airey joined the band as a full-time keyboardist in March 2002. He has recorded eight studio albums with the band: Bananas, Rapture of the Deep, Now What?!, Infinite, Whoosh!, Turning to Crime, =1, and Splat!.
Interviewed by Jeb Wright, for Classic Rock Revisited, about the album Now What?!, he said "Well, it's Deep Purple and there is a Hammond there. There is only one way to go, really. Over the years, I have really worked on my sound, it didn't just happen overnight. The first two, or three, years I was with the band, I was using Jon's C3 and it was pretty knackered. I had it refurbished. It's been put in mothballs now... I much prefer Hammond A-100's, that's my choice."
Instruments and gear Airey has employed many instruments and effect processors to aid him in the creation of his music and is well known for the use of his Hammond A100. In an interview with Keyboard Magazine Don Airey explained that he preferred the Hammond A-100 over other organs (including the Hammond B-3) for their "purer tone" in live settings. He also uses Leslie 122 speakers and a Hughes and Kettner Puretone amplifier. For piano sounds, Airey uses a Kurzweil PC3K8 and also uses a Moog Voyager. He also uses several rack and pedal based units such as a Roland Fantom.
Airey is also an endorsing artist for several effects companies including TC Electronic and currently uses a Neunaber Seraphim Shimmer as well as a TC Hall of Fame Reverb and a TC Flashback Delay.
Personal life Airey lives with his wife, Doris, and their three children in South West Cambridgeshire. In 1992, Airey's son suffered from a serious illness, causing him to slow down his musical activity until 1995. Airey is an ardent Sunderland A.F.C. fan.
He is currently writing a book about his experiences in the music business.
Discography
Solo YearTitleNotes1988K2Studio2005E-Thnik (with Mario Fasciano, Steve Morse & Ian Paice) Studio2008A Light in the SkyStudio2011All OutStudio2014Keyed UpStudio2018One of a KindStudio2019Contractual Obligation #1: Live in Moscow (with Ian Gillan and Orchestra)Live, BD/2CD2019Contractual Obligation #2: Live in Warsaw (with Ian Gillan and Orchestra)Live, 2Cd2019Contractual Obligation #3: Live in St. Petersburg (with Ian Gillan and Orchestra)Live, 3LP2021Live in HamburgLive, Recorded 20172025Pushed to the EdgeStudio
As band member YearBandTitle1974Cozy Powell's Hammer"Na Na Na" (Single)1976Colosseum IIStrange New Flesh1977Electric Savage1977War Dance1979RainbowDown to Earth1979Denver 1979 (LP)1979Long Island 1979 (LP)1979Down to Earth Tour 1979 (box set)1980Monsters of Rock - Live at Donnington 19801981Difficult to Cure1981Boston 19811986Finyl Vinyl1997Quatermass IIQuatermass II: Long Road1998The Snakes/The Company of SnakesLive in Europe2001Here They Go Again2001EmpireHypnotica2003Trading Souls2003Living LoudLiving Loud2004Live in Sydney 2004 (2CD/DVD)2003Deep PurpleBananas2005Rapture of the Deep2006They All Came Down to Montreux (CD) / Live at Montreux 2006 (DVD)2007Over Zurich (DVD)2002Live at the NEC UK 2002 (DVD)2011Live at Montreux 2011 (CD / DVD)2013Now What?!2013The Now What?! Live Tapes2014Deep Purple, Bruce Dickinson, Glenn Hughes, Paul Weller, Rick Wakeman & Many OthersCelebrating Jon Lord at the Royal Albert Hall (CD / DVD)2014Deep PurpleLive in Verona (CD / DVD)2015From the Setting Sun... (In Wacken) (CD / DVD)2015...To the Rising Sun (In Tokyo) (CD / DVD)2017InFinite2017The Infinite Live Recordings, Vol. 12013Live in Rome 20132020Whoosh!2002Live in London 20022021Turning to Crime2024=12026Splat!
As session member YearBandTitle1977Andrew Lloyd WebberVariations1978StrifeBack to Thunder1978Black SabbathNever Say Die1978Gary MooreBack on the Streets1979Cozy PowellOver the Top1980Michael Schenker GroupThe Michael Schenker Group1980Ozzy OsbourneBlizzard of Ozz1981Cozy PowellTilt1982Gary MooreCorridors of Power1983Gary MooreDirty Fingers1983Gary MooreRockin' Every Night – Live in Japan1983Gary MooreLive1983Ozzy OsbourneBark at the Moon1983Cozy PowellOctopuss1985Gary MooreRun for Cover1987Wild StrawberriesWild Strawberries1987WhitesnakeWhitesnake1989WhitesnakeSlip of the Tongue1989Gary MooreAfter the War1990Gary MooreStill Got the Blues1990Judas PriestPainkiller1992Cozy PowellThe Drums Are Back1992UFOHigh Stakes & Dangerous Men1997Glenn TiptonBaptizm of Fire2000Uli Jon RothTranscendental Sky Guitar2000TenBabylon2001Judas PriestDemolition2004Tony Iommi with Glenn HughesThe 1996 DEP Sessions2006Gary MooreOld New Ballads Blues2006Tipton, Entwistle & PowellEdge of the World2008Judas PriestNostradamus2008Michael Schenker GroupIn the Midst of Beauty2011Michael SchenkerTemple of Rock2011SaxonCall to Arms
Guest appearances
1976 – Babe Ruth – Kid's Stuff 1978 – Jim Rafferty – Don't Talk Back 1979 – Bernie Marsden – And About Time Too 1985 – Alaska – The Pack 1985 – Phenomena – Phenomena 1985 – Gary Moore & Phil Lynott – "Out in the Fields" 1986 – Zeno – Zeno 1987 – Wild Strawberries – Wild Strawberries 1987 – Helix – Wild in the Streets 1988 – Fastway – On Target 1988 – Jethro Tull – 20 Years of Jethro Tull 1989 – Crossbones – Crossbones 1990 – Perfect Crime – Blond on Blonde 1990 – Jagged Edge – You Don't Love Me 1990 – Bruce Dickinson – Tattooed Millionaire 1990 – Forcefield – IV – Let the Wild Run Free 1990 – Tigertailz – Bezerk 1991 – Graham Bonnet – Here Comes the Night 1992 – Anthem – Domestic Booty 1992 – Kaizoku – Kaizoku 1992 – Brian May – Back to the Light 1994 – The Kick – Tough Trip Thru Paradise 1994 – Katrina and the Waves – Turnaround 1998 – Colin Blunstone – The Light 1998 – The Cage – The Cage 1998 – Olaf Lenk – Sunset Cruise 1998 – Eddie Hardin – Wind in the Willows (live) 1999 – Millennium – Millennium 2000 – Micky Moody – I Eat Them for Breakfast 2000 – Silver – Silver 2000 – Olaf Lenk's F.O.O.D. – Fun Stuff 2001 – Silver – Dream Machines 2001 – Rolf Munkes' Empire – Hypnotica 2002 – Metalium – Hero Nation – Chapter Three 2002 – Bernie Marsden – Big Boy Blue 2002 – Rolf Munkes' Empire – Trading Souls 2003 – Silver – Intruder 2005 – Kimberley Rew – Essex Hideaway 2006 – Gwyn Ashton – Prohibition 2009 – Carl Sentance – Mind Doctor 2011 – Wishbone Ash – Elegant Stealth 2012 – Persian Risk – Once a King 2012 – Various artists – Help! For Japan 2013 – Schubert – In Rock 2014 - Hollywood Monsters - Big Trouble 2014 - AraPacis - A Disturbing Awakening 2021 - Metalium - Never Surrender
References
Further reading
External links
Don Airey Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2014)