Aynsley Dunbar

Biography

Aynsley Thomas Dunbar (born 10 January 1946) is an English drummer. Throughout his career, he worked with numerous major rock musicians and bands. Dunbar was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey in 2017.

Career

Aynsley Thomas Dunbar was born in Liverpool, England. He started his professional career in Derry Wilkie and the Pressmen in 1963. In 1964, he joined the Excheckers. Then in December 1964, he joined the Merseybeat group the Mojos, who were renamed Stu James & the Mojos, with original members vocalist Stu James, guitarist Nick Crouch, and bass player Lewis Collins (later an actor in The Professionals). This line-up continued until 1966. Dunbar then auditioned for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, losing to Mitch Mitchell on a coin toss. Dunbar then joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers replacing Hughie Flint. He stayed with Mayall until the spring of 1967 (playing on the A Hard Road album), and was replaced by Mick Fleetwood.
After a short stint in the Jeff Beck Group, Dunbar founded the Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, so named to chide Mayall, who had fired him. They issued four albums during their existence. Dunbar co-wrote the song "Warning" (later recorded by Black Sabbath on their first album). The Dunbar single version was recorded in 1967 for the Blue Horizon label, prior to his band's first album release The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (1968).
Subsequently, Dunbar founded a short-lived progressive rock band called Blue Whale, which debuted with a tour of Scandinavia in January 1970. Following the recent collapse of the original lineup of King Crimson, Dunbar unsuccessfully tried to recruit Robert Fripp as Blue Whale's guitarist. Fripp, in turn, unsuccessfully tried to recruit Dunbar as King Crimson's new drummer. Blue Whale recorded one album, which featured Paul Williams (vocals), Ivan Zagni (guitar), Roger Sutton (guitar), Tommy Eyre (from Retaliation, keys) and Peter Friedberg (bass).
Dunbar was subsequently the drummer for Frank Zappa, playing on the solo albums Apostrophe (') and Waka/Jawaka, and the Mothers' albums The Grand Wazoo, Fillmore East – June 1971, and Just Another Band from L.A., as well as the film 200 Motels. He filled in for Flo and Eddie when they left the Zappa group after an irate British "fan" pushed Zappa off the Rainbow stage in 1971. In 1974 he played on the soundtrack of Dirty Duck, an adult animated film directed by Charles Swenson. In the mid-1970s Dunbar played drums for former Grin leader Nils Lofgren, before joining the newly formed Journey on February 1, 1974. He remained a member until the end of the Infinity Tour on September 2, 1978, in Oakland, a period that encompassed Journey’s first four studio albums. Soon after, he joined Jefferson Starship for three albums. On 28 December 1978, he played at Winterland in San Francisco with the Tubes. Dunbar joined Whitesnake in 1985 and performed on their 1987 album Whitesnake. He also spent some time working with Pat Travers, Eric Burdon, UFO, Michael Schenker, Mogg/Way and the Animals.
He has been the drummer for the World Classic Rockers since 2003. In 2005, he drummed on Jake E. Lee's solo Retraced album.
In 2008, Dunbar recorded an album of material for Direct Music with Mickey Thomas of Starship, and musicians such as Jake E. Lee, former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. The complete recordings of Dunbar's drumming with Frank Zappa at Carnegie Hall in October 1971 were released exactly 40 years after the event in a four-CD set.
In 2009, the blues album The Bluesmasters featuring Mickey Thomas was released, featuring Dunbar on drums along with Tim Tucker on guitar and Danny Miranda on bass, as well as guest stars such as Magic Slim on guitar and vocals.
Drummerworld recognized Dunbar as the only drummer to have played with such a robust variety of successful bands and musicians. In 2017 Aynsley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Journey. Dunbar was ranked by Rolling Stone as 27th greatest drummer of all time.

Personal life

Dunbar's youngest son Dash was diagnosed with cancer in June 1999 and died on 9 May 2000.

With John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers

A Hard Road (1967)
Looking Back (1969)
So Many Roads (1969)
Thru the Years (1971)

With Eddie Boyd

Eddie Boyd and His Blues Band Featuring Peter Green (1967)

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation

The Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation (July 1968)
Doctor Dunbar's Prescription (December 1968)
To Mum, From Aynsley & The Boys (October 1969)
Remains to Be Heard (May 1970)

With Frank Zappa and the Mothers

Chunga's Revenge (1970)
Fillmore East - June 1971 (1971)
200 Motels (1971)
Just Another Band from L.A. (1972)
Waka/Jawaka (1972)
The Grand Wazoo (1972)
Apostrophe (') (1974)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1 (1988)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 3 (1989)
You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 6 (1992)
Playground Psychotics (1992)
The Lost Episodes (1996)
Quaudiophiliac (2004)
Carnegie Hall (2011)
Finer Moments (2012)
Road Tapes, Venue 3 (2016)
The Mothers 1970 (2020)
Zappa - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2021)
Funky Nothingness (2023)

With Flo & Eddie

The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie (1972)
Flo & Eddie (1973)

With Mick Ronson

Slaughter on 10th Avenue (1974)
Play Don't Worry (1975)

With Journey

Journey (1975)
Look into the Future (1976)
Next (1977)
Infinity (1978)

With Jefferson Starship

Freedom at Point Zero (1979)
Modern Times (1981)
Winds of Change (1982)

With Paul Kantner

Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra (1983)

With Pat Travers

Just a Touch (1992)
Blues Magnet (1994)
P.T. Power Trio (2003)

With Keith Emerson

Best Revenge (1985)
Off the Shelf (2006)