Tommy Aldridge
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Member
Studio musician
Live musician
Guest musician
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Personal information
Born on: 15.08.1950
Tommy Aldridge (born on August 15, 1950, in Pearl, Mississippi is a veteran heavy metal and hard rock drummer who has pioneered double bass drumming. Aldridge is noted for his work with numerous bands and vocalists, most notable being Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy.
Aldridge taught himself how to play drums and was inspired by Cream, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin and drummers Joe Morello and John Bonham. Throughout his career Aldridge has been regarded as a double bass drumming pioneer.
In the 1970s, Aldridge joined up and coming rockers Black Oak Arkansas and recorded nine albums with them between 1972 and 1976. He also undertook long tours around the US with the band.
He spent 1978 to 1981 signed with Canadian blues-rock guitarist Pat Travers, and recorded five albums with him. Aldridge was then offered a place in Ozzy Osbourne's band, which he accepted. Playing alongside Ozzy and guitarist Randy Rhoads, the line up is preserved on 1987's Tribute. After Rhoads' death the band continued to record, producing a live album in 1982 called Speak of the Devil and a studio album, Bark at the Moon in 1983, after which Aldridge left the group.
Aldridge joined Gary Moore to record Dirty Fingers in 1984 before accepting an offer from David Coverdale of Whitesnake. However, before joining Whitesnake for the "Whitesnake 1987" tour he joined forces with longtime friend and bass player Rudy Sarzo to form "Project Driver" a Shrapnel Records band which not only failed commercially but was a project he personally financed and cost him his marriage. He was too late to appear on the successful Whitesnake 1987 album, but has toured with the band extensively to this day. He appears on Slip of the Tongue, released in 1989 which was less successful and resulted in the group breaking up a year later.
After Whitesnake, he played in the band Manic Eden, with his former Whitesnake bandmates, Adrian Vandenberg and Rudy Sarzo. The line-up also included former Little Caesar vocalist Ron Young.
During the 1990s Aldridge worked with numourous acts ranging from Motörhead to Ted Nugent (also recording with House of Lords on their 1992 release Demons Down)while continuing to tour and record live albums.
Since 2002 Aldridge toured with Whitesnake alongside David Coverdale (vocals), Doug Aldrich (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar), Marco Mendoza/Uriah Duffy (bass) and Timothy Drury (keyboards). Aldridge left Whitesnake in 2007 to pursue alternate musical endeavours.
As of 2007, Aldridge is touring with Thin Lizzy alongside John Sykes, Scott Gorham and Marco Mendoza. The latter part of his drum solo in this Thin Lizzy tour includes a "hands-only" percussion piece where he plays snare, tomtoms, and cymbals without sticks.
Aldridge plays Yamaha drums, a company he has been with for more than 20 years and uses Paiste cymbals.
Tommy Aldridge (born on August 15, 1950, in Pearl, Mississippi is a veteran heavy metal and hard rock drummer who has pioneered double bass drumming. Aldridge is noted for his work with numerous bands and vocalists, most notable being Black Oak Arkansas, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy.
Aldridge taught himself how to play drums and was inspired by Cream, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin and drummers Joe Morello and John Bonham. Throughout his career Aldridge has been regarded as a double bass drumming pioneer.
In the 1970s, Aldridge joined up and coming rockers Black Oak Arkansas and recorded nine albums with them between 1972 and 1976. He also undertook long tours around the US with the band.
He spent 1978 to 1981 signed with Canadian blues-rock guitarist Pat Travers, and recorded five albums with him. Aldridge was then offered a place in Ozzy Osbourne's band, which he accepted. Playing alongside Ozzy and guitarist Randy Rhoads, the line up is preserved on 1987's Tribute. After Rhoads' death the band continued to record, producing a live album in 1982 called Speak of the Devil and a studio album, Bark at the Moon in 1983, after which Aldridge left the group.
Aldridge joined Gary Moore to record Dirty Fingers in 1984 before accepting an offer from David Coverdale of Whitesnake. However, before joining Whitesnake for the "Whitesnake 1987" tour he joined forces with longtime friend and bass player Rudy Sarzo to form "Project Driver" a Shrapnel Records band which not only failed commercially but was a project he personally financed and cost him his marriage. He was too late to appear on the successful Whitesnake 1987 album, but has toured with the band extensively to this day. He appears on Slip of the Tongue, released in 1989 which was less successful and resulted in the group breaking up a year later.
After Whitesnake, he played in the band Manic Eden, with his former Whitesnake bandmates, Adrian Vandenberg and Rudy Sarzo. The line-up also included former Little Caesar vocalist Ron Young.
During the 1990s Aldridge worked with numourous acts ranging from Motörhead to Ted Nugent (also recording with House of Lords on their 1992 release Demons Down)while continuing to tour and record live albums.
Since 2002 Aldridge toured with Whitesnake alongside David Coverdale (vocals), Doug Aldrich (guitar), Reb Beach (guitar), Marco Mendoza/Uriah Duffy (bass) and Timothy Drury (keyboards). Aldridge left Whitesnake in 2007 to pursue alternate musical endeavours.
As of 2007, Aldridge is touring with Thin Lizzy alongside John Sykes, Scott Gorham and Marco Mendoza. The latter part of his drum solo in this Thin Lizzy tour includes a "hands-only" percussion piece where he plays snare, tomtoms, and cymbals without sticks.
Aldridge plays Yamaha drums, a company he has been with for more than 20 years and uses Paiste cymbals.