Simon Wright
Simon Wright, drummer for AC/DC, 1983-89
Background information
Born	June 19, 1963(age 44) Manchester, England
Genre(s)	Hard rock Heavy Metal Blues Rock
Label(s)	EMI

Simon Wright is also the name of the creator of Whirlpool.

Simon Wright (born June 19, 1963 in Manchester, England) is a professional drummer best known for his stints with Hard rock legends AC/DC and Dio. He first started playing drums in his early teens and cites Cozy Powell, Tommy Aldridge and John Bonham as his greatest influences.

Wright began his career in A II Z, a New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band founded in 1979 in Manchester, England by guitarist Gary Owens. The full lineup consisted of David Owens (vocals), Gary Owens (guitar), Gam Campbell (bass), Karl Reti (drums). They rapidly acquired a local following in Manchester, and were quickly snapped up by Polydor Records, eager to cash in on the exploding NWOBHM boom. A single live album, The Witch Of Berkley, followed in 1980. Reti was subsequently replaced by Wright. The band then promptly disintegrated. Only Wright went on to major success.

Wright joined AC/DC after their drummer, Phil Rudd, was fired in 1983. AC/DC recorded three albums with Wright in the mid-late 80s; Fly on the Wall, Who Made Who and Blow Up Your Video. Wright then left the group in 1989, and was replaced by Chris Slade.Simon Wright joined Rhino Bucket to replace the departed Liam Jason for their third album, 1994's independently released Pain. In 2007, he reunited with the band for a festival in Pryor, Oklahoma.

Wright has had two stints with Dio, 1990-91 and 1998-present. With the band he has recorded four studio albums ( Lock up the Wolves , Magica , Killing the Dragon and Master of the Moon ) and two live albums (Evil or Divine - Live In New York City and Holy Diver - Live).

His drumming can also be heard on albums by UFO, Michael Schenker Group and John Norum.

In 2005, Wright participated on a tribute album to Heavy metal icons Iron Maiden. It was his second time doing a tribute disc. The first experience was in 1998 on an album titled Thunderbolt. That album just happened to be a tribute album put together to honour his former employer/bandmates, AC/DC.