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Don with Uli Jon Roth, G3 tour, 1998

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Some photos of Don in hats <3

(That feeling when you wear such hats too)

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Hi there! I was inactive for a long time, but I'll try to post here more photos/interviews/gifs (and so on) connected with Don. Thank you all for being with me and for your interest to my acc <3

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From Instagram account @nixx_pistols

Rainbow era

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Good morning everybody ^_^

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Blue Don Airey aesthetic for @probablyzell.

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New interview with Don Airey!

Jeb: I have major respect for you as an artist. I am excited to hear you have a new album coming in May of this year. It is called One of a Kind. And Don…you’re one of a kind. How did that name come about?

Don: It was from a jam in a local rehearsal studio with Carl Sentance and Simon McBride – listening back to my recording afterwards I heard Carl sing “One of a Kind” over the chorus section. I think he was referring though to a glamorous young lady rather than a crusty old keyboard player.

Jeb: Your last album in 2014 was called All Keyed Up. That one rocked and was not at all what I expected out of a keyboardist. Will this one be similar?

Don: Its very much in the nature of a band album and it’s not so “prog” as the preceeding albums have been. Eleven songs, lots of soloing, melodies, riffs, something for everyone hopefully.

Jeb: Tell me about how writing differs when writing One of a Kind and writing Deep Purple music.

Don: The main difference is the time factor – you have a couple of days to get things together rather than a couple of months. Same with the recording sessions. I just take all the ideas that come tumbling out of the jams and try to turn them into songs.

Jeb: You’ve played with some of the best hard rock guitarist on the planet…how does Simon McBride hold up against them?

Don: Its very hard to compare one with another. I met Simon six years ago. We became friends after he played at my biannual fund raiser in the village where I live. I got him in to play on “Keyed Up” and then into doing some of the gigs. He’s one of the nicest people I have ever worked with a fund of ideas. He has a fluidity in his playing I haven’t encountered since working with Gary Moore. Incidentally, Simon is from Belfast, almost from the same district as Gary. But he is nevertheless very much his own man, and just hope I can hang on to him for one more project before he hits the stratosphere with his own.

Jeb: All are the 11 new songs….new compositions? Or have some been lying around?

Don: They are all brand new. Carl and myself are fairly dutiful about getting together for writing sessions and having Simon involved added a welcome new dimension and immediacy to our output.

Jeb: This is slated to come out May 25, 2018 on earMUSIC as 2CD release. The bonus disc is live from a live concert you did. They are classic Deep Purple, Rainbow and Gary Moore tunes. Which of these was the most fun to look back at and play live?

Don: Without a doubt “Still got the Blues.” Simon just nails it and I don’t know of anybody else that has, or could. And of course, on a personal level, it honors the memory of perhaps the greatest musician I ever knew.

Jeb: Here is a hard one…there is no real music business like there was back in the day you came to prominence. Why bother doing this type of stuff? Isn’t it easier to just play the hits and collect the checks?

Don: Stuck in my ways, I guess. My publisher and good friend Stuart Taylor used to say “If you want to be in the music biz, you have to make music. What you got?” Collecting checks in the music biz is a good trick if you can do it though.

Jeb: You like the Hammond. I’ve heard you even play at your church in your local village. Is that true?

Don: Yes, I am officially deputy organist at the local church, the only proper job I have ever had. If I am around and needed it’s a privilege to play there, but not the easiest of gigs, I have to say. The organ dates back to Victorian times, and is a splendid instrument, and of course you have really to be on your toes…keeping up with the choir…and not missing the many service cues…and remembering the important part dynamics and phrasing play in hymns, anthems and psalms.

Jeb: Get specific on what I am going to hear in May with these songs. What can your fans expect?

Don: Well, a large helping of English classic rock – perhaps more Rainbow-ish than DP.

Jeb: Are there any you think the fan base will find particularly exciting?

Don: Yes, its quite “heavy” in parts

Jeb: I want to do an in-depth follow-up interview when this album drops. But…I also want to end this sucker with a few self-indulgent questions as I am a huge fan of your work. Let’s start with a biggie…is Deep Purple close to retiring?

Don: With DP the watchword always is “Expect the Unexpected” but, obviously things are winding down though ever so slowly.

Jeb: How big of an influence was Jon Lord on you? Do you remember hearing his playing for the first time?

Don: First heard Jon on “Hush.” I had actually seen him play a couple of years prior to that with the Flowerpot Men at Nottingham University. I thought his playing was astounding; he was loud, driving, technically adept, and made it all look so easy. A good friend over the years to so many of us as well.

Jeb: Where I grew up we were not aware of Colosseum II. You were on their album in 1976. Tell me what that was like and what I missed?

Don: It was one of the many fusion bands that emerged in the wake of the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s success, lead by one of the greatest pros I have ever known drummer Jon Hiseman, and featuring the youthful genius of Gary Moore. We never quite captured it on record, but live the band was absolutely explosive, maniacal even.

Jeb: You were on Never Say Die by Sabbath? I heard that band was a drug infested mess at that time. What was that like?

Don: I remember walking into the session meeting Tony and Ozzy and them offering me a cup of tea. The control room was as though we were in a family’s front room. The two days of sessions were cool, calm and collected. Bill Ward did say to me at the end that he was getting a bit worried about Ozzy though. They couldn’t have been nicer to me, or more professional. I love that album.

Jeb: How did you meet Cozy Powell? I think you played on a solo album of his before you joined Rainbow.

Don: I was in Cozy’s band Hammer that had three hit singles in 1974. A lifelong friendship ensued. He was an amazing musician, especially in a recording studio. He was multi-talented as well and could have made a career as a racing driver, or at show jumping – an incredible horseman apparently. We recorded Over the Top his first solo venture, in London, immediately after finishing recording Down to Earth with Rainbow in France. Great days ay!

Jeb: Michael Schenker is a great guitarist…but another strong personality.

Don: Michael was one of the first people I knew in the biz to give up drinking – astonishing in 1975 – partaking only of sparkling mineral water. Trouble was, the gas turned to acid in his stomach over the months and put him in hospital with a severe bout of peritonitis.

Jeb: I want the untold story of writing the intro to “Mr. Crowley.”

Don: It was recorded in half an hour on a Minimoog and a Yamaha CS80­­­—one of the first polyphonic synths—two hours into the Blizzard sessions. I thought little of it at the time.

Jeb: We all know the story that you flew in that plane only moments before Randy did. He was a friend to you. I think I saw where you played at a tribute to him recently.

Don: I just played at the “Remembering Randy Rhoads” event in Anaheim in January. It was a wonderful evening commemorating the man’s playing and composing. They even very graciously gave me an award. There is not a day goes by that I don’t think of Randy. He truly was one of a kind.

Jeb: That tour with Brad Gillis stepping into being Ozzy’s guitarist had to be emotionally hard…yet you guys killed it musically.

Don: Brad gave his all on his first real professional engagement and kept Ozzy afloat. Not very sure that Brad enjoyed his time in the band though. When I bumped into him recently in Nashville he couldn’t have been less pleased to see me.

Jeb: Gary Moore was another one…I’ve heard you were very important to getting Gary to start recording blues. Is that true?

Don: I mentioned to Gary that I had done a gig with a band called The Hawks in my local pub, featuring the twin guitar work of Mick Grabham and Ray Minhinnet. I said how impressed I was not only with their playing, but the whole measured blues feel of the band. Gary must have got hold of their album, because several of the same songs figured on Still Got the Blues. He also got hold of their rhythm section, bass player Andy Pyle and drummer Graham Walker. It definitely is the album where he found himself.

Jeb: Gary was a fast living guitarist. There has to be a couple tales of Gary and Don sucking down suds on the road…

Don: There are quite a few, but I can’t tell you them!

Jeb: Who am I missing? Oh…Glenn Tipton…Baptism of Fire. I think you played on the title track. Sad news about his health…

Don: I have worked on six projects with Glenn including three Priest albums. He is a gentleman and a scholar, and the real godfather of English heavy metal. Yes, very sorry to hear his news.

Jeb: Andrew Lloyd Webber…wow! Tell me about working with him.

Don: It was with Colosseum II. We were on the same record company. He’d heard War Danceand asked us to participate in the making of Variations. The recording lasted a week. Andrew was very charming, full of ideas, and before we knew it we were number 2 in the album charts. Still get the checks from his office 40 years on.

Jeb: Last one…what is up the rest of 2018 and next year? Will there be solo shows? More DP? What’s next?

Don: Just finished a three-week club tour of Europe with the band that plays on One of a Kind. Getting ready to do a four-month summer run of festivals with DP starting in Mexico in May, with perhaps a UK tour in November with my own band following up on the release of One of a Kind.

Jeb: Okay…really last one…you play with great guitarists…Are you really a frustrated guitarist?

Don: No, I’m really a frustrated keyboard player.

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Don on remembering of Cozy Powell, 5 April 2018.

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Don Airey with the GEM Promega 2+

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Deep Purple - Bananas Tour promos

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“Years ago, in Rainbow, Don Airey and I were at a launderette at about one o’clock in the morning in the outskirts of Kansas city or something, tired as hell, watching our washing go round and round. And there was this sort of silence between us which was broken when Don said “Oh, the glamour!” (laughter). Two days ago, we arrived in Trier, at about seven in the morning after an overnight bus ride, and I went and had a bit of breakfast, and I thought I’d go to bed now and get a few more hours of sleep, and I saw Don heading out for a launderette. Actually, I needed to get to a launderette too, so I went with him. And we got a taxi and we found a launderette in Trier and we were sitting there and I reminded him of that “Oh, the glamour!”. - Roger Glover 16.02.2006, Heidelberg Lars Wehmeyer & Andree Schneider

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with Phenomena

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The Interview with Don Airey from BBC

Now recently you've been touring with the Don Airey & Friends band. How did that come about?

It’s basically a band that came about through charity work we did. I put on a festival every year, and invite friends up to play. An agent saw the band and he said ‘You guys sounds great, can I put a few dates in for you?” I said “You can if you want!” and much to my surprise, he came up with a few. So it’s only an occasional thing, but I enjoy it very much.

What was the line-up?

Well, on guitar I’ve got my brother Keith. He’s played with Tom Jones. Keith is a top London session man. A lot of musicians know about him, but not the wider rock public. So hopefully I’ll be introducing him to a few new fans. There’s Steve Pearce on bass, who has played with Madonna. John Marter on drums, whom I used to play with in a band called Alaska. Then there’s Rob Hart on vocals.

And what kind of set list do you guys perform?

Oh, it’s the usual suspects. We’re doing a few Rainbow songs. Some well known, some not so well known. There’s a couple of Gary Moore things. A couple of Whitesnake. It’s all the stuff I’ve played on over the years. There’s a bit of Ozzy too.

We’re not taking the easy option though. We’re just running through a few songs that I haven’t played for years, and I just enjoy playing them.

Earlier in the year, Deep Purple were back in the studio to start recording a new album. Can you give us the latest news on how that is going? What can Purple fans expect?

We spent five weeks in a studio in Los Angeles, putting down 12 or 13 tracks together. Ian Gillan’s close to finishing off the vocals, so the album is nearly complete. We’ll have a listen, and maybe add a few more things, but it should be out in October or November, I think.

Do you have any song-titles or album names you can share with us?

I don’t know what the album’s called, but there’s some funny working titles for the songs. There’s one called Stabs, another called (something)…Of The Deep. I can’t remember the others.

It’s a bit of a departure from the last album. It’s a lot heavier, and I think it will turn a few heads. We recorded it in the same studio that used to be used by Korn, and it’s got a wonderful sound. It’s got a real, immediate drum and organ sound. I was really happy working in there.

Deep Purple are embarking on a US tour in June. Are you never tempted to just put your feet up and relax instead? What keeps you motivated?

It’s a funny thing touring. I think if some psychologists looked into it, they’d come up with some pretty interesting answers, about what makes it so addictive. Once you’ve done it, it’s very hard to give it up. It becomes part of your way of life. It’s something I couldn’t live without. They say musicians don’t retire, they drop.

Do you miss England much when you go?

Yes I do. It is very nice to get back here, even though it doesn’t contrast very favourably with some of the places we go to in the world. You can see that there’s a lot of things wrong in this country, but for me, it’s still the only place to live.

And I’m a Sunderland supporter, so there’s even more reason to be here. That’s where we belong. Back in the Premiership.

Did you manage to make any of the games this season?

I managed to make the Forest one, where we won 2-1. That was the only one though. But both my sons were there on the last game of the season, so I got first hand reports. I got a phone call from them when I was in LA, and the racket and noise in the background was incredible. Absolutely amazing.

Now recently I saw your name crop up on the latest Judas Priest album…

Shhhh, don’t tell anyone!

What is it like working with those guys?

I’ve known those guys for years. They supported Rainbow at the first ever Donnington festival, and that’s where I first got to know them. They are charming characters. I’m very friendly with guitarists Glenn Tipton and Kenny Downing, and I’ve kind of become the band’s honorary keyboard player.

I’ve worked on their last three albums, but it’s all very discreet. I just go in to the studio for a few days and record my piece. I think that last Priest album is amazing though. It’s absolutely brilliant. A fine piece of work.

You’ve played with numerous bands on numerous sessions. Is this a concerted effort to not get bogged down with the same band for year after year?

Yeah, it’s normally my policy to not stay with any band for more than three years. I think it’s good to move on. I’ve broken my rule with Purple though. I’ve been with them three years now, and I’ve got no thoughts of leaving, so long as they want me to be a part of it. It’s a great thing to be involved with.

And how do your sessions come about?

People phone you. They come looking for you, and they ask. You either say yes or no. I can’t ever recall saying no though (laughs). 

Now, I heard rumours that the Living Loud project (w/Bob Daisley and Jimmy Barnes) is going to be touring the UK this year.

I’ve heard those rumours too!

Is there any truth in those?

I don’t think so, no.

So it’s not going to happen?

I’m not really in touch with them, as such.

The last time I interviewed you, back in 2003, you said that you were writing a book on your experiences in the music industry. How is the book coming along?

It’s about half done now. It’s hard work, you know! I’ve just met up with my old mate Rudy Sarzo, who played bass in the Ozzy band, and he’s got a book coming out too. He said the best way to do it is a page a day. If you can do that, you’ll be ok. So I’ve kind of slowed down a bit, and I’m just taking my time.

Is it going to contain a reference for all the hundreds of sessions you’ve worked on?

Yes it will do. It’s funny actually, because we did a gig with Joe Satriani on the bill, and afterwards he came up to me and said there’s a guy at the stage door with a wheelbarrow, who wants to talk to me. And in this wheelbarrow, the guy had 125 albums in there, all of which I had to autograph! I think I appear on over 200 albums now. Maybe more. The Catalogue of Shame, I call it!

What advice would you give to young musicians looking to get a break in the industry?

I always say the same thing. Where do you live? At home with my parents. Well, go home, pack your case, and leave home now. That’s the way you get on. It sounds like a strange thing to say to someone, but that’s the only advice I ever give. Apart from the obvious things like keep practising, and keep plugging away, because sooner or later, something will break for you.

You’ve got to get out there and live your life like a musician. Rather than sitting in your bedroom behind a computer.

Do you still remember the first ever gig you performed at?

Yeah, it was at a working man’s club in Sunderland. The bass player didn’t turn up, so we had drums, piano, and two saxophones. We did Yakety Sax, and a Duke Ellington song. We got paid 2s.6d, which was a fortune for us. Funny times.

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Don with Scott Holliday on NAMM before getting ill...

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To the Prog/Rock/Metal fandom…

As some may have heard already, right after NAMM, Don Airey was hospitalized with pneumonia. His work means a lot to me, he means a lot to me. I’d like to send a get-well soon message, but I also wish to do something more than just that. As part of my (extremely small but as far as Google tells me, the only current) Don Airey Fanclub…I was distressed by this, I’m not the only one…If I may, ask if you’d consider joining me, in a collective gesture of love and light, to wish Mr. Airey a speedy recovery. I’ll try to find some way to get it to him.Thank you for your time.

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From Mike's Twitter (Don's son): "Hall of heavy metal history... Dad presenting the award to Bill Ward (Black Sabbath)"