Brian Downey

Along with bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott, drummer Brian Downey was the only other member of Irish rockers Thin Lizzy to remain with the band from the beginning until the end. Born in Dublin, Ireland on January 27, 1951, Downey grew up in the nearby town of Crumlin, where he inherited a love of music from his father (who played in a local 'pipe' band). By the early '60s, Downey was playing the drums, and took notice of up-and-coming British Invasion bands, such as the Kinks, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles. Soonafter, Downey began supplying the backbeat for several regional bands, such as the Liffey Beats and the Mod Con Cave Dwellers. It was while a member of the latter band that Downey met another local musician, Phil Lynott, who was the frontman for a group called the Black Eagles. It wasn't long before Lynott invited Downey to join his group, which led to a long and fruitful musical relationship. The duo would eventually go on to form Thin Lizzy in 1970 (with guitarist Eric Bell). The trio would go on to issue such albums as 1971's Thin Lizzy, 1972's Shades of a Blue Orphanage, and 1973's Vagabonds of the Western World (plus scoring a sizeable European hit with a cover of "Whiskey in the Jar"), before Bell split.

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