Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen Portnoy[2] (born April 20, 1967) is an American musician who is primarily known as the drummer, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.
For the American contemporary artist, see Michael Portnoy.
Mike Portnoy
Michael Stephen Portnoy
MP [1]
April 20, 1967
Long Beach, New York, U.S.
Musician
- Drums
- vocals
1984–present
- OSI
- Cygnus and the Sea Monsters
- Yellow Matter Custard
- Avenged Sevenfold
- Adrenaline Mob
- Sons of Apollo
In September 2010, Portnoy announced his departure from Dream Theater after 25 years, with Mike Mangini taking his place as drummer of the band. In October 2023, 13 years after his departure, the band announced his return. During his time out of Dream Theater, Portnoy remained active, with a variety of bands and projects, including Adrenaline Mob, Avenged Sevenfold, Transatlantic, Yellow Matter Custard, Flying Colors, The Winery Dogs, Liquid Tension Experiment, Metal Allegiance, Sons of Apollo, the Neal Morse Band, and BPMD.
Early life[edit]
Portnoy was born on April 20, 1967 in Long Beach, New York.[3] He is Jewish.[4] His father, Howard Portnoy (1940–2009), worked as a DJ at a local radio station. Mike and his father later moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, to work at KRML radio station after watching the 1971 film Play Misty for Me.[5] His mother died on November 16, 1984, when the private plane she was riding in, with her boyfriend, crashed off the Atlantic City coastline.[6]
Portnoy's father's job helped him gain an appreciation for music at an early age particularly, as Portnoy has pointed out, because he had access to his father's collection of LPs. He developed a preference for bands including Rush, Queen, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Iron Maiden, and the Beatles, among many others. Portnoy claims to be self-taught as a drummer, though he did take music theory classes in high school. During that period he began playing in local bands, two of which (Rising Power and Inner Sanctum) recorded and released independent albums.
Artistry and influences[edit]
In the April 2001 edition of Modern Drummer and Portnoy's website, he names Neil Peart, Ringo Starr, John Bonham and Keith Moon as influences.[20]
Portnoy played bass when Dream Theater performed as the fictitious band Nightmare Cinema. Before live performances of "Trial of Tears", he would sometimes switch instruments with John Petrucci and play a fragment of "Eruption" by Van Halen. In Nightmare Cinema, he went by the stage name "Max Del Fuvio".[21]
Portnoy played bass guitar and xylophone during a song on Liquid Tension Experiment 2. He has also contributed lead and harmony vocals to numerous projects.
Personal life[edit]
Portnoy and his wife Marlene (née Apuzzo) live in Upper Saucon Township in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania with their children, Melody Ruthandrea (born May 3, 1997)[25] and Max John (born March 7, 1999).[26] Marlene is [27] one of the guitarists for Meanstreak, and two of the other members, the other guitarist, Rena Sands, and the bassist, Lisa Martens, are married to Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung, respectively.
Max Portnoy, like his father Mike, is a drummer. His band Next to None opened for Adrenaline Mob in Atlanta on April 6, 2013.[28] As of December 26, 2017, Max is playing drums in his new band Tallah.[29] With a post he published on his official Instagram account on October 14, he revealed that he is the new drummer of the band Code Orange too.[30]
Portnoy is a recovering addict and has openly discussed it. The five song set Twelve-step Suite deals with his experience of substance abuse. He edged away from alcohol and drugs in April 2000 and has remained sober since then.[31]