List of Santana band members

Last updated

Santana performing in 2008 Santana (2871061146).jpg
Santana performing in 2008

Santana is an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1966 by Mexican-born guitarist Carlos Santana. The band has undergone various recording and performing line-ups in its history, with Santana being the only consistent member. In 1998, the lineup of Santana, Rolie, Carabello, Shrieve, Brown and Areas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [1]

Contents

Santana is one of the best-selling groups of all time with an estimated 100 million albums sold worldwide. [2]

History

Santana was founded by eponymous guitarist Carlos Santana in late 1966, the band's first line-up included Sergio "Gus" Rodriguez on bass, Danny Haro on drums, and Michael Carabello on percussion. By February 1967, the band were joined by Tom Fraser on guitar and vocals, who also brought in Gregg Rolie on organ and vocals. [3] After losing out on a residency in June 1967, due to members not being committed. Santana and Rolie brought in new musicians.

Members

Bold denotes members of the classic line-up.

Current members

Current Santana members
ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributions
Santana Acer Arena (5558151833) (cropped 2).jpg Carlos Santana 1966–present
  • lead guitar
  • vocals
  • percussion
all releases
Santana Acer Arena Sydney (5560384502) (cropped).jpg Benny Rietveld
  • 1990–1992
  • 1997–present
bass
Karl Perazzo of Santana, at the Acer Arena, Sydney (5560384524) (cropped).jpg Karl Perazzo1991–present
  • timbales
  • congas
  • percussion
  • vocals
all release from Milagro (1992) onwards, except Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997), The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) and The Woodstock Experience (2009)
Andy Vargas2000–present
  • vocals
  • percussion
all releases from All That I Am (2005) onwards, except The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) and The Woodstock Experience (2009)
Tommy Anthony.jpg Tommy Anthony 2005–present
  • rhythm guitar
  • vocals
all releases from Guitar Heaven (2010) onwards
David K. Matthews2011–presentkeyboardsall releases from Corazón (2014) onwards
Paoli Mejías2013–present
  • congas
  • percussion
  • Corazón (2014)
  • Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014)
Cindy Blackman (cropped).jpg Cindy Blackman Santana 2015–presentdrums
Ray Greene2016–present
  • vocals
  • percussion
  • trombone
  • In Search of Mona Lisa (2019)
  • Africa Speaks (2019)

Former members

ImageNameYears activeInstrumentsRelease contributions
Gregg Rolie June 2014.jpg
Gregg Rolie
  • 1966–1972
  • 2014–2016
  • organ
  • piano
  • keyboards
  • lead vocals
Tom Fraser1966–1967guitarsnone
Sergio "Gus" Rodriguezbass
Danny Harodrums
Santana (1971).png
Michael Carabello
  • 1966–1967
  • 1968–1971
  • 2014–2016
  • congas
  • percussion
  • possible keyboards
  • vocals
  • Santana (1969)
  • Abraxas (1970)
  • Santana III (1971)
  • Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)
  • The Woodstock Experience (2009)
  • Santana IV (2016)
  • Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (2016)
Santana (1971).png
David Brown
  • 1967–1971
  • 1974–1976 (died 2000)
bass
  • Santana (1969)
  • Abraxas (1970)
  • Santana III (1971)
  • Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)
  • Borboletta (1974)
  • Amigos (1976)
  • Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997)
  • The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007)
  • The Woodstock Experience (2009)
Marcus Malone 1967–1969 (died 2021)
  • congas
  • percussion
  • Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997)
  • The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007)
Don Wehr1967drumsnone
Rod Harper
Bob Livingston1967–1969
  • Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997)
  • The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007)
Johnny Rae1969none
Chepito2015.jpg
José "Chepito" Areas
  • 1969–1974
  • 1976–1977
  • 1988–1989
  • timbales
  • congas
  • percussion
  • drums
  • trumpet
  • Santana (1969)
  • Abraxas (1970)
  • Santana III (1971)
  • Caravanserai (1972)
  • Welcome (1973)
  • Lotus (1974)
  • Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)
  • Festivál (1977)
  • Moonflower (1977)
  • The Woodstock Experience (2009)
OK Hotel Reunion - Michael Shrieve 01A (cropped).jpg
Michael "Mike" Shrieve
  • 1969–1974
  • 2014–2016
  • drums
  • percussion
  • occasional vocals
  • all releases from Santana to Borboletta (1974)
  • The Woodstock Experience (2009)
  • Santana IV (2016)
  • Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (2016)
Neal Schon.jpg
Neal Schon
  • 1971–1972
  • 2014–2016
  • lead and rhythm guitar
  • vocals
  • Santana III (1971)
  • Caravanserai (1972)
  • Santana IV (2016)
  • Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (2016)
Buddy-Miles.jpg
Buddy Miles
  • 1971
  • 1972
  • 1986
  • 1987 (died 2008)
  • drums and percussion (1971, 1972)
  • vocals and guitar (1986, 1987)
Freedom (1987)
Pete Escovedo White House oct 2009.jpg
Pete Escovedo
  • 1971
  • 1977–1979
  • timbales
  • percussion
Coke Escovedo 1971–1972 (died 1986)
  • Santana III (1971)
  • Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)
Rico Reyes1971–1972
  • percussion
  • vocals
  • Abraxas (1970)
  • Santana III (1971)
  • Caravanserai (1972)
Tom Rutley1971–1972
  • bass
  • acoustic bass
Caravanserai (1972)
James "Mingo" Lewis1971–1973
  • congas
  • percussion
Victor Pantoja1971none
Armando Peraza London 001.jpg
Armando Peraza
  • 1972–1976
  • 1977–1990
(died 2014)
  • congas
  • bongos
  • percussion
  • vocals
all releases from Caravanserai (1972) to Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990)
Tom Coster (4032206100).jpg
Tom Coster
  • 1972–1978
  • 1983–1984
  • keyboards
  • backing vocals
  • all releases from Caravanserai (1972) to Moonflower (1977)
Richard Kermode 1972–1973 (died 1996)keyboards
  • Welcome (1973)
  • Lotus (1974)
Doug Rauch in the 1970's.jpg
Doug Rauch 1972–1974 (died 1979)
  • bass
  • guitar
  • Caravanserai (1972)
  • Welcome (1973)
  • Lotus (1974)
Leon Thomas 1973 (died 1999)vocals
  • Welcome (1973)
  • Lotus (1974)
Leon "Ndugu" Chancler
  • 1974–1976
  • 1988 (died 2018)
drums
  • Borboletta (1974)
  • Amigos (1976)
Leon Patillo at Get Motivated Seminar, Cow Palace 2009-03-24 2.JPG
Leon Patillo
  • 1974–1975
  • 1976
  • vocals
  • keyboards
  • piano
  • percussion
  • Borboletta (1974)
  • Festivál (1977)
Jules Broussard1974–1975saxophone
  • Welcome (1973)
  • Borboletta (1974)
Greg Walker
  • 1975–1976
  • 1976–1979
  • 1983–1985
vocals
Santana Acer Arena (5558151807).jpg
Raul Rekow1976–2013 (died 2015)
  • congas
  • bongos
  • percussion
  • vocals
all releases from Festivál (1977) to Shape Shifter (2012), except Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997), The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) and The Woodstock Experience (2009)
Gaylord Birch
  • 1976
  • 1991 (died 1996)
  • drums
  • percussion
Festivál (1977)
Graham Lear.jpg
Graham Lear
  • 1976–1983
  • 1985–1987
drums
  • Moonflower (1977)
  • Inner Secrets (1978)
  • Marathon (1979)
  • Zebop! (1981)
  • Shangó (1982)
Luther Rabb 1976 (died 2006)vocalsnone
Joel Badie1976Festivál (1977)
Byron Millerbassnone
Pablo Tellez1976–1977
  • Festivál (1977)
  • Moonflower (1977)
David Margen1977–1982
  • Moonflower (1977)
  • Inner Secrets (1978)
  • Marathon (1979)
  • Zebop! (1981)
  • Shangó (1982)
Chris Solberg1978–1980
  • guitars
  • keyboards
  • vocals
  • Inner Secrets (1978)
  • Zebop! (1981)
Chris Rhyne1978–1979keyboardsInner Secrets (1978)
Premik playing Tenor Sax, Spring 2022.jpg
Russell Tubbs 1978flutenone
Alex Ligertwood.jpg
Alex Ligertwood
  • 1979–1983
  • 1984–1985
  • 1987
  • 1989–1991
  • 1992–1994
  • vocals
  • rhythm guitar
Alan Pasqua 1979–1980
  • keyboards
  • vocals
  • Marathon (1979)
  • Zebop! (1981)
Orestes Vilató 1980–1987
  • timbales
  • percussion
  • vocals
  • Zebop! (1981)
  • Shangó (1982)
  • Beyond Appearances (1985)
  • Freedom (1987)
  • Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990)
Richard Baker1980–1982keyboards
  • Zebop! (1981)
  • Shangó (1982)
Santana (2870219597) (cropped).jpg
Chester D. Thompson1983–2009
  • keyboards
  • arrangements
  • vocals
all releases from Beyond Appearances (1985) to Shape Shifter (2012), except Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997), The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007), The Woodstock Experience (2009) and Guitar Heaven (2010)
Keith Jones
  • 1983–1984
  • 1989
bassnone
David Sancious 1984
  • keyboards
  • rhythm guitar
Beyond Appearances (1985)
Chester Thompson (2923561437).jpg
Chester C. Thompson drums
Alphonso Johnson.jpg
Alphonso Johnson
  • 1984
  • 1985–1989
  • 1992
bass
  • Beyond Appearances (1985)
  • Freedom (1987)
  • Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990)
Sterling Crew1985–1986keyboardsFreedom (1987)
Walfredo Reyes, Jr..jpeg
Walfredo Reyes Jr.
  • 1989–1991
  • 1992–1993
drums
  • Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990)
  • Milagro (1992)
  • Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993)
Billy Johnson
  • 1991
  • 1994
  • 2000–2001
  • Milagro (1992)
  • Supernatural (1999)
  • Shaman (2002)
Santana Acer Arena (5558151825).jpg
Tony Lindsay
  • 1991
  • 1995–2004
  • 2007–2015
vocals
  • Milagro (1992)
  • Supernatural (1999)
  • Shaman (2002)
  • Shape Shifter (2012)
  • Corazón (2014)
  • Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014)
Myron Dove
  • 1992–1996
  • 2003–2005
  • bass
  • rhythm guitar
Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993)
Vorriece Cooper1992–1993vocals
Oran Coltrane1992saxophonenone
Rodney Holmes
  • 1993–1994
  • 1997–2000
drums
Tommie Bradford1994
Curtis Salgado 12April2008.jpg
Curtis Salgado 1995
  • vocals
  • harmonica
Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez 1997drums Supernatural (1999)
Ricky Wellmannone
Santana Acer Arena (5558204467).jpg
William "Bill" Ortiz1999–2016trumpet
  • Milagro (1992)
  • all releases from Supernatural (1999) to Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014)
Santana Acer Arena (5558204467).jpg
Jeff Cressman1999–2016tromboneall releases from Supernatural (1999) to Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014)
Dennis Chambers Kongsberg Jazzfestival 2018 (225738).jpg
Dennis Chambers 2002–2013drums
  • All That I Am (2005)
  • Guitar Heaven (2010)
  • Shape Shifter (2012)
  • Corazón (2014)
Christopher A. Scott2002–2005
  • bass
  • vocals
none
Freddie-Ravel-Portrait(Color).jpg
Freddie Ravel 2009–2010keyboardsGuitar Heaven (2010)
José "Pepe" Jimenez2013–2015drumsnone

Timeline

List of Santana band members

References

  1. "Santana". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  2. Szaroleta, Tom (October 19, 2017). "Echoes of Woodstock: Santana one of the few big names still on the road". The Florida Times-Union . Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  3. Fong-Torres, Ben (December 7, 1972). "The Resurrection of Santana". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 26, 2022.