Scott Travis

Last updated

Scott Travis
Scott Travis2005.jpg
Travis in 2004
Background information
Birth nameMark Scott Travis
Born (1961-09-06) September 6, 1961 (age 62)
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. [1] [2]
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Drums
Years active1981–present
Member of
Formerly of

Mark Scott Travis (born September 6, 1961) [1] is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the British heavy metal band Judas Priest, the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, and the supergroup Elegant Weapons. He was also a longtime member of the American heavy metal band Racer X during their initial run and then reformation up until their 2009 breakup. [3]

Contents

As a member of Judas Priest, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Biography

Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Travis was a well-known drummer in the local music scene of a region known as Hampton Roads during the early 1980s. Playing with bands in clubs throughout Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News. Travis moved to California in the early to mid-1980s and performed in various local bands, such as Hawk, later moving on to perform for the critically acclaimed band Racer X, and very briefly performed in Saints Or Sinners, which later changed their name to The Scream, and also featured Travis's Racer X bandmates Bruce Bouillet and Juan Alderete. His big career move came about late in the decade after Judas Priest's longtime drummer Dave Holland left the band in 1989, citing personal reasons.

Travis had always wanted to be the drummer of Judas Priest. As a teenager, he had often thought about setting up his drum kit in the parking lot at the Hampton Coliseum in hopes that the band would notice him as they went past with their tour bus. He finally decided to wait at the back of the arena to hand the band a tape of his playing. Holland was still the band's drummer at the time, so nothing ever came out of the encounter. When Holland did leave Judas Priest in 1989, vocalist Jeff Martin heard about it through his friendship with Rob Halford. Martin called up Travis one day and said, "Guess who needs a drummer." Travis auditioned for the vacant position and became their new member, thus becoming the first non-Briton to perform for the band. He has been with the band ever since and also handles drum duties for Racer X as well. Travis also performed drums in Halford's band Fight from 1992 to 1995, but to date, he is best known for his work with Judas Priest, for which he has been widely acclaimed ever since his debut on the 1990 album Painkiller . [4]

Travis was largely responsible for hiring Tim 'Ripper' Owens as Halford's replacement in Judas Priest in 1996. Owens would remain in the band until the 2003 reunion with Halford. [5]

Travis takes credit as the co-writer for the song "Cyberface", which appears on Judas Priest's 2001 album Demolition , making it his first and only contribution in the band. [6]

In April 2016, Travis joined the reformed line-up of Thin Lizzy for reunion shows and has remained in the band as their official member. [7]

He is commonly mistaken to be left-handed. In reality, he is ambidextrous, and plays with an open style. He is 6'6" tall.[ citation needed ]

Equipment

Travis always used Tama Drums until 2008. On the first leg of the Judas Priest "Nostradamus Tour" he played a Pearl kit and then switched to a DW kit for the second leg. He was also seen using a DW kit at the NAMM Show with his band Racer X. His DW setup is: two 23"x24" bass drums, 14"x6.5" snare,8"x8" 10"x9" 12"x9" and 14"x10" rack toms and 16"x14" and 18"x16" floor toms. Travis has played Paiste cymbals since May 1987. He also plays Evans drum heads and uses Vater drumsticks.

Discography

Racer X

Judas Priest

Fight

Hawk

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judas Priest</span> British heavy metal band

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band struggled with poor record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when their sixth studio album British Steel brought them notable mainstream attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Halford</span> British heavy metal singer

Robert John Arthur Halford is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Judas Priest, which was formed in 1969 and has received accolades such as the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. He has been noted for his powerful and wide ranging operatic vocal style and trademark leather-and-studs image, both of which have become iconic in heavy metal. He has also been involved with several side projects, including Fight, Two, and Halford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Hill</span> British bassist, member of Judas Priest

Ian Hill is an English musician, best known as the bassist and the sole continuous member of the heavy metal band Judas Priest. Along with lead guitarist Glenn Tipton, he is the only member who has appeared on all of the band's studio albums.

<i>Painkiller</i> (Judas Priest album) 1990 studio album by Judas Priest

Painkiller is the twelfth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 14 September 1990. It was the last Judas Priest album to feature long-time lead singer Rob Halford until his return for the 2005 album Angel of Retribution and the first to feature drummer Scott Travis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racer X (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Racer X was an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The group went through a hiatus and a few lineup changes, with bassist Juan Alderete being the sole constant member. They were signed to Shrapnel Records.

<i>Sad Wings of Destiny</i> 1976 studio album by Judas Priest

Sad Wings of Destiny is the second studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 26 March 1976 by Gull Records. It is considered the album on which Judas Priest consolidated their sound and image, and songs from it such as "Victim of Changes" and "The Ripper" have since become live standards. It was the band's only album to feature drummer Alan Moore.

<i>Ram It Down</i> 1988 studio album by Judas Priest

Ram It Down is the eleventh studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 13 May 1988 by Columbia Records. It was the band's last album to feature longtime drummer Dave Holland, and was promoted in Europe and North America with the Mercenaries of Metal Tour.

<i>Sin After Sin</i> 1977 studio album by Judas Priest

Sin After Sin is the third studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 8 April 1977 by Columbia Records. Produced by Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, it was the band's major label debut, their first album for the label, and their only album to feature drummer Simon Phillips, a studio musician who replaced original drummer Alan Moore for the recording sessions.

<i>Jugulator</i> 1997 studio album by Judas Priest

Jugulator is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in Japan on 16 October 1997 and the rest of the world on 28 October 1997. It was their first studio album since Painkiller in 1990 and the first of two studio albums the band recorded without Rob Halford and with American lead vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens. Jugulator is the only Judas Priest album that has never been released on any major digital media website, due to SPV falling under and going bankrupt around 2009.

<i>Demolition</i> (Judas Priest album) 2001 studio album by Judas Priest

Demolition is the fourteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, and the first in the decade of the 2000s. It is the second and final studio album to feature Tim "Ripper" Owens on vocals. It is also the only Judas Priest studio album to feature a Parental Advisory label on the album cover due to the songs "Machine Man", "Hell Is Home", and "Metal Messiah" containing profanity.

John Frederick Hinch was a British drummer from Lichfield, Staffordshire. From 1973 to 1975, he was the drummer in an early line-up of heavy metal band Judas Priest. Hinch was a jazz-rock styled drummer with a very compact style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living After Midnight</span> 1980 single by Judas Priest

"Living After Midnight" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally featured on their 1980 album British Steel, which was their first gold album in the United States selling more than 500,000 copies. The song speaks to the hedonistic, rebellious spirit of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and is among the band's most popular songs.

<i>Nostradamus</i> (album) 2008 studio album by Judas Priest

Nostradamus is the sixteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, focusing on the 16th-century writer Nostradamus. It is a double album and the band's first concept album. It was originally intended to be released in late 2006 before being pushed back to a 2007 release, and was finally released on 17 June 2008 on Epic Records. It is the last Judas Priest studio album to feature the Painkiller-era lineup with guitarist and founding member K. K. Downing retiring in April 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painkiller (Judas Priest song)</span> 1990 song by Judas Priest

"Painkiller" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 1990; it was later released as a single on Columbia Records. It is off the band's twelfth album of the same name as the opening track. The lyrics tell the story of the Painkiller, the character featured on the cover of the album, who is a cyborg superhero who saves mankind from destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Touch of Evil</span> 1991 single by Judas Priest

"A Touch of Evil" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, from their 1990 album Painkiller. The record was released as the second single from the album via Columbia Records label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satchel (musician)</span> American guitarist

Russell John Parrish, better known as Satchel, is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist for the comedic glam metal band Steel Panther.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epitaph World Tour</span> 2011–12 concert tour by Judas Priest

The Epitaph World Tour was a concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, at the time intended to be the band's farewell tour. The tour commenced in June 2011 and concluded in May 2012. The tour was named after the 6th track from their Sad Wings of Destiny album.

<i>The Complete Albums Collection</i> (Judas Priest box set) 2012 box set by Judas Priest

The Complete Albums Collection is a compilation box set album collection by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 12 June 2012 by Legacy Recordings. The Complete Albums Collection contains 17 Judas Priest albums,.

The Painkiller Tour was a concert tour by English heavy metal band Judas Priest which was in support of the album Painkiller. It ran from 18 October 1990 until 15 April 1991.

References

  1. 1 2 Virginia, Birth Records, 1864–2014
  2. "Interview with Scott Travis from the DVD "Classic Albums – British Steel"". YouTube . Retrieved March 10, 2010.[ dead YouTube link ]
  3. Huey, Steve. "Biography: Racer X". Allmusic . Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas; Prato, Greg. "Biography: Judas Priest". Allmusic . Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  5. "Tim "Ripper" Owens Biography". YouTube . Archived from the original on December 22, 2021.
  6. "JUDAS PRIEST – CYBERFACE". lescharts.com.
  7. Shaw, Zach (April 19, 2016). "Mikkey Dee drops out of Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton and Judas Priest's Scott Travis jump in". Metal Insider. Retrieved April 19, 2016.