Mikkey Dee | |
|---|---|
_%25E2%2580%2593_Wacken_Open_Air_2015_02.jpg) Dee in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou |
| Born | (1963-10-31)31 October 1963 (age 61) Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Drummer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | |
| Website | Mikkey Dee official website |
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou (born 31 October 1963), known professionally asMikkey Dee, is a Swedish musician, who has played drums for German heavy metal bandScorpions since 2016. He was the drummer for English heavy metal bandMotörhead (for which he is still best known to this day) from 1992 until 2015 and has played with other artists includingKing Diamond,Helloween andDon Dokken.
Dee was born inGothenburg, Sweden to a Greek father and a Swedish mother. He began his musical career with local bands Nadir and Geisha. His main influences includeNeil Peart,Brian Downey,Buddy Rich,Steve Smith and especiallyIan Paice.[1]
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Having moved toCopenhagen, Denmark to play with Geisha,[1] Dee joinedKing Diamond in 1985. He played on the King Diamond recordingsFatal Portrait (1986),Abigail (1987) andThem (1988).King Diamond himself was becoming quite popular and the musicians backing him were taking a secondary role in the writing and decision making. After the completion of the supporting tour forThem, he decided to leave the band as he felt that he was becoming more of a backup musician rather than an equal contributing songwriter. However, he was rehired to playsession drums for the recording of the band's follow-up album,Conspiracy (1989). After completion of the album, he was replaced bySnowy Shaw.
Dee joinedDon Dokken for his solo albumUp from the Ashes (1990). The music videos for the songs "Stay" and "Mirror Mirror" received airplay onMTV'sHeadbangers Ball. The band headlined their own tour as well as opening forJudas Priest. During this time, he filled in temporarily for the band World War Three (WWIII).
While King Diamond was touring withMotörhead, frontmanLemmy repeatedly asked Dee to join his band.[2] In 1992, Dee accepted, replacingPhil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.[3]
On his replacement of a longstanding member, Dee said in 2006:
"Phil Taylor was great when he was good... so I could never have filled that space. It's like when you get married and have kids; no one can take my father's place… I could never be Phil Taylor, so I had to introduce Mikkey Dee into Motörhead."[4]
Dee's first gig with the band was on 30 August 1992 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York.[5] He did not have much input on that year'sMarch ör Die album which had been recorded withTommy Aldridge prior to Dee joining. Dee played on the band's albumsHellraiser andHell on Earth – the soundtrack forHellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Although Aldridge recorded most of the drum tracks, Dee's photo appeared on the rear album sleeve. Aldridge said that Dee could take credit for the playing but Dee declined, citing differing styles.[citation needed]
Epic Records dropped the band after the soundtrack's release and the group continued recording with German labelSPV. They also started a label called "Motörhead" which was distributed throughWarner-Chappell andZYX. Dee's first album for this label was 1993'sBastards. Dee also played drums onHelloween's 2003 albumRabbit Don't Come Easy, stepping in forMark Cross.[citation needed]
In April 2006, King Diamond reunited with Dee at a sold-out gig at Kåren inGothenburg, Sweden.[6] King referred to Dee as "one of the best [drummers] of all time and that's something that has bothered us since he left."[7]
Dee played drums forMartin "E-Type" Eriksson in the Swedishpre-qualification for theEurovision Song Contest 2004 as well as onE-Type's 2003 EuroMetal Tour.[citation needed]
Dee was a contestant on series 1 ofKändisdjungeln onTV4 in 2009 but was eliminated in the 15th episode. While filming, his place was filled on tour byMatt Sorum, who commented: "I thought either Mikkey would either die in the jungle or I would die on the Motörhead tour."[8]
Following Lemmy's death in December 2015, Dee announced that Motörhead had disbanded.[9][10]
Dee joinedThin Lizzy to play on their anniversary shows in January 2016. However, on 19 April, it was announced that he would not be participating.[11] Subsequently, it was announced that Dee would be filling in forJames Kottak on theScorpions' twelve North American headlining dates, including a run of shows at theHard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas dubbed "Scorpions blacked out in Las Vegas".[12][13] Dee later joined the band permanently.[14]
On November 5, 2024, Dee took to social media to refute unsubstantiated reports of his death.[15]
Dee is known for lengthy drum solos, often lasting between five and fifteen minutes. Some notable examples include those that appear inSacrifice,In the Name of Tragedy, andThe One to Sing the Blues.
Dee usesSonor drums,Paiste cymbals, Evans drumheads, and Wincent Drums sticks. He also usedRemo heads in the past.[16] His main kit is a Sonor SQ2 Vintage Maple Custom Finish set.[17]
Dee is an avidice hockey fan and a supporter of theFrölunda HC team from Gothenburg. The rumor that he was a member of a Swedish National Youth Hockey team, which began with an interview on Motörhead'sStage Fright DVD, has been rebutted by Dee himself. He stated: "At the end of the 80s and a bit into the 90s I played for a team called Team Sweden in southern California."[18]
Mikkey Dee lives in Gothenburg with his longtime girlfriend Mia. They have two sons together.[citation needed]
In 2019, Dee opened a rock bar in Paris named Alabama.[19]
In 2022, he used his ability to drive articulated trucks to advertise Volvo's Electric Trucks.[20]
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