Mike Portnoy American drummer, permanent member of the prog metal band "Dream Theater" Date of Birth: 20.04.1967 Country: USA

Biography of Mike Portnoy

Mike Portnoy is an American drummer and a long-standing member of the progressive metal band "Dream Theater." He is widely regarded as one of the best drummers of our time and has repeatedly won the award for "Best Drummer of the Year." Portnoy is the second youngest drummer, after Neil Peart, to be inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame at the age of 37.

Co-producing the last five albums of Dream Theater alongside John Petrucci, Portnoy has played a significant role in shaping the band's sound since their album "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory". He has also contributed significantly to the songwriting, starting from the album "A Change of Seasons."

Although Portnoy taught himself how to play drums, he attended music theory lessons in school. During that time, he began playing in local bands such as Intruder, Rising Power, and Inner Sanctum, which later released albums. Portnoy left these bands after receiving a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston. However, he did not complete his studies due to the time-consuming nature of his involvement with the band.

Portnoy's musical preferences have been heavily influenced by Neil Peart and Frank Zappa. He also admires Terry Bozzio, Vinnie Colaiuta, Simon Phillips, John Bonham, and Keith Moon. His favorite bands include The Beatles, Queen, Yes, Metallica, Jellyfish, Iron Maiden, U2, Pantera, Rush, Biohazard, Korn, and Jane's Addiction. From contemporary bands, he enjoys Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Muse, and Avenged Sevenfold.

Mike Portnoy resides in Rockland with his wife, Merlin, and their children Melody and Max. They have a dog named Bongo and a cat named Cypress. Portnoy has a passion for collecting and has amassed a large collection of Dream Theater memorabilia, including bootlegs and posters. He also documents his band through videos and photographs. Furthermore, his home is filled with an extensive collection of movies.