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This chord in his head
Don Airey appeared on the Sonic Perspectives podcast, promoting his upcoming solo album. The is also a fair bit of talk about his day job and the whole career.
The interview is accompanied by quite a long blurb that summarizes most of it:
Any musician with a legacy as rich and expansive as Don Airey’s would understandably want to slow things down after reaching 70. A true keyboard virtuoso, his fingerprints are all over some of rock’s most timeless records, from Ozzy Osbourne’s “Blizzard of Ozz” to Deep Purple’s modern era. Having contributed to over 300 albums, Airey’s unmistakable sound has become the backbone of hard rock and heavy metal for nearly five decades.
While his session and band work are legendary, Airey has also cultivated a remarkable solo career, showcasing his own vision and songwriting. Albums like “K2” (1988), “A Light in the Sky” (2008), “All Out” (2011), and “One of a Kind” (2018) have allowed him to explore a diverse range of sounds, blending hard rock, prog, classical, and jazz fusion into a unique musical identity.
Now, after another monumental year with Deep Purple, Airey is shifting gears to his own creative vision. On March 28, 2025, he will release “Pushed to the Edge”, a blistering hard rock statement featuring a lineup of elite musicians, including Carl Sentance (Nazareth), Mitchell Emms (The Voice UK), Simon McBride (Deep Purple), Jon Finnigan, and Dave Marks. The legendary keyboardist recently sat down for an interview with us, where he opened up about his new album, the changing landscape of touring, and why AI will never replace human creativity.
“Pushed to the Edge” had been in the works for several years, with recording sessions stretching from 2019 to 2023. Yet, when Airey finally got the call that a single was dropping, even he wasn’t prepared. “I kind of forgot about it, you know, handed it in. And the next thing I know, I get a phone call saying, ‘Oh, we’re releasing a single called Tell Me.’ And I said, ‘Oh, what’s that from?’ And they go, ‘Your album, man.’” Laughing at his own absentmindedness, he admitted, “I think I’d better listen to it!”
The album’s writing process, like much of Airey’s work, was a highly collaborative effort. “It’s always been a bit of a band thing. It’s not just me sitting at home at a grand piano, writing songs, you know?” He recalled how certain tracks evolved organically, like “They Keep on Running”, which took on a Spanish vibe by accident. “The bass player, John Finnegan, started playing this kind of Spanish thing, and I said, ‘Oh, that’d be great with the trumpet.’” Another standout track, “March of the Requiem”, was an old idea that transformed once guitarist Simon McBride got involved. “It suddenly sounded like something you’d hear on a Ritchie Blackmore album from 1973. It was like, ‘Oh, we gotta use this.’”
For many, his name is synonymous with Deep Purple, where he took on the near-impossible task of replacing the legendary Jon Lord in 2002. Not only did he step into the shoes of one of rock’s most revered keyboardists, but he also helped shape the band’s modern resurgence, contributing his signature virtuosity and classical influences to albums like Rapture of the Deep, Now What?!, and last year’s chart-topping =1.
Airey has now been with Deep Purple for over two decades — something even he hadn’t fully processed until recently. “That took me aback, actually. Somebody said, ‘You know, in a couple of years, you’ll have been in the band longer than Jon Lord.’ And I thought, ‘What? No, that can’t be right.’” Originally brought in for just three gigs, he never imagined he’d still be with the band 20 years later. “Well, I joined for three gigs… and here I am.”
He also reflected on how the band was revitalized by Simon McBride stepping in for Steve Morse. “It was like everybody woke up—like Rumpelstiltskin, you know, from their long sleep. And we all started rocking again.” While Morse’s departure was bittersweet, Airey praised McBride’s energy, suggesting it injected a new sense of purpose into the group.
Fans of Airey’s work may also be excited to learn that he’s been working on his autobiography—though finishing it has proven difficult. “I’m always writing a book, but it’s always halfway through because my career keeps going on.” He promises that when it does finally come out, it won’t be a heavy, self-serious rock memoir. “It’ll be lighthearted rather than doom and gloom.”
Looking back on his storied career, Airey remains humble and grounded. He fondly recalled playing on Judas Priest’s Painkiller, though he admits, “I played on Painkiller, but you can’t hear me. I think they did a remix, but I’m not sure what they did with it.” And when asked about performing at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show, he had a quick response: “No invitation as far as I’ve heard… and I think all the tickets are gone!”
Thanks to Blabbermouth for the heads-up.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Never will I forget how sad I was when Jon Lord retired 😞
Couldn’t imagine anyone taking over and doing a good job.
But then came Don Airey 😊
What a fine choice he was!
He certainly is not Jon Lord, and I’m happy to say that I never saw him trying to be like Jon Lord, Don Airey was – and is – his very own person and has been from the start.
Not being a musician I can’t decide if he is at the same level as Jon Lord, but it sounds like to me.
Thank you Don for being you and for taking over the Hammond and doing such a wonderful job 💜
March 6th, 2025 at 06:10Don didn’t just play on the Painkiller album with Priest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW-6FKFnHx8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yyO_HozK0c
but also on their magnum opus Nostradamus, he’s very prominent on that 2008 concept work, Priest diehards have even called it “a Don Airey album with Judas Priest backing him”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SIDBeohY0w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMnNB2dseOI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGKrSFr9g2Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvM5Wzof0gk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiPSnK0EN1Q
March 6th, 2025 at 06:49