Background

Portnoy was born on April 20, 1967, and raised on Long Island in Long Beach, New York. His father, Howard Portnoy, worked as a DJ at a local radio station. Mike and his father later moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California to work at KRML radio station after watching the 1971 film "Play Misty for Me". His mother died on November 16, 1984, when the private plane she was riding in, with her boyfriend, crashed off the Atlantic City coastline.

Mike Portnoy was constantly surrounded by a wide variety of rock music. Tunes from artists like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix were a constant in his life, having an early impression on him. By the time he was 5 years old, Mike Portnoy was already playing his record player with the hundreds of records he had in his personal collection.

Education

Mike Portnoy’s interest in music didn’t fade out as he grew older. Seeing that it was his biggest passion in life, Mike Portnoy’s parents gave him a 4-piece, blue-sparkle, no-name brand drum set as a gift for his 11th birthday. Mike Portnoy began learning how to play drum set by playing along to a lot of classic rock albums. Mike Portnoy’s first big drumming influences were Keith Moon, Ringo Starr, and John Bonham. Mike Portnoy was self-taught, gaining a great amount of knowledge on drumming technique by listening and playing along to Rush and Frank Zappa. By the late-70s, Mike Portnoy’s musical interests began shifting to heavier sounding bands like KISS, Iron Maiden, and The Ramones.

From 1982 to 1983/84, Mike Portnoy played with classic rock and early heavy-metal cover bands. The first one he played with, which was actually his first band, was called Intruder. With them, Mike Portnoy played songs from artists like Van Halen, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin. Although Mike Portnoy was self-taught, he took music theory classes in high-school and played in its jazz stage and marching bands. Ninety eighty-four was the year Mike Portnoy’s drumming was first featured on a full-length album, when he recorded drums for Rising Power’s Power For The People.

As Mike Portnoy grew older, his interest in learning about music grew with him. So in 1985, Mike Portnoy decided to apply for several scholarships at different music colleges. After recording 12 a.m. with the band Inner Sanctum, Mike Portnoy was awarded the “Steve Smith” scholarship by the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. To this day, Mike Portnoy believes that the tape he sent in to Berklee as part of his application was the main reason he got the scholarship, since it showed he was an open-minded person that was willing to learn about different music styles. The tape included two tracks from Rising Power’s Power For The People, one track from his high-school jazz band, and one track from the marching band he was in. Mike Portnoy ultimately quit from Inner Sanctum and moved to Boston. In Berklee, Mike Portnoy received formal training in harmony, theory, arranging, and ear training. The classes he took really helped him develop his musical sense, more so, than his actual drumming skills.

Career

While practicing at one of Berklee’s practice rooms, Mike Portnoy came across guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung, who, much like Mike, were from Long Island. The three of them stroke up an immediate friendship due to their shared musical tastes and origins. They ended up forming a band that gained some notoriety in Berklee for performing music from bands like Iron Maiden and Rush, since most students were more interested in classical and jazz music. The name of the band was decided while the three of them were in a waiting-line for tickets to a Rush concert at the Berklee Performance Center. While listening to Rush on a boombox, Mike Portnoy commented that the end section of the song “Bastille Day” from Rush’s Caress Of Steel sounded “majestic”. They enjoyed that word so much that they decided to call their own band “Majesty”. Armed with a name for the band, they decided that it was time to recruit more musicians into their ranks.

After enlisting Kevin Moore as a keyboardist and Chris Collins as the lead vocalist, Mike Portnoy, John Petrucci, and John Myung decided to abandon their studies at Berklee. They felt they had nothing more to learn from college and didn’t want to neglect the band, whose chemistry was getting better by the day. Eventually, Kevin Moore left his college to concentrate on the band as well.

As 1986 rolled in, Majesty recorded The Majesty Demos, an “album” full of demo tracks that became popular within the progressive-metal scene. In November, 1986, and after replacing Chris Collins with Charlie Dominici, a Las Vegas group named Majesty threatened legal action for intellectual property infringement related to the band’s name. Forced to adopt a new identity, and after rejecting names like “Magus”, “M1” and “M2”, the band went as “Glasser” for about a week. After fans reacted poorly to this name change, the band settled on Mike Portnoy’s father suggestion of naming the band after a small theater in Monterey, California. Dream Theater, one of the greatest progressive-metal bands of our time, was born.

Mike Portnoy recorded 10 studio albums, 5 live album, 1 compilation album, 2 Extended Plays (EPs) and 7 video albums with Dream Theater. When Dream and Day Unite (1989) was Dream Theater’s first studio release under their new name. The album went on quite unnoticed, which led to Dream Theater being cut from their record label. Images And Words (1992) marked the debut of James LaBrie as Dream Theater’s singer on an album. Images And Words is Dream Theater’s most commercially successful studio album to date, being certified gold in the United Stated. It also includes Dream Theater’s only top-10 hit, the song “Pull Me Under”. Awake (1994) was Dream Theater’s third studio release. The album peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200, the highest position a Dream Theater album would reach for a long period of time.

The recording and writing process for Dream Theater’s next studio effort Falling Into Infinity (1997) was a very stressful experience for the band, due to their label’s heavy interference. They pressured Dream Theater to write a more commercial album, refused to sell it as a 140-minute double album, and even recruited Desmond Child to help the band re-write “You Or Me”, which became known as “You Not Me”. This whole ordeal was quite detrimental to the band, who have since trusted the production of their own music to the partnership of Mike Portnoy and John Petrucci.

Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory (1999) was conceived as the sequel to “Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper”, a song written for Images and Words. It was Dream Theater’s first album to feature Jordan Rudess on keyboards. The album reached #73 on the Billboard 200, #2 on the Billboard Top Internet Albums, and has been awarded a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The double-disc Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (2002) and Train of Thought (2003) where Dream Theater’s next studio efforts. Train of Thought peaked at #53 on the Billboard 200 and at #9 in the Norwegian Album Charts.

Octavarium, Dream Theater’s eight studio album, peaked at #15 in the Canadian album charts, #9 in the Dutch and Norwegian albums chart, #2 in the Finnish and Italian albums charts, and #36 in the Billboard 200. Systematic Chaos (2007) peaked at #19 on the Billboard 200, making it the highest peaking Dream Theater album in the United States since Images And Words. Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009) was able to top Images And Words by debuting at #6 in the Billboard 200, and at #1 in the Billboard Top Internet Albums.

While working with Dream Theater, Mike Portnoy developed a series of side projects. The first one was Liquid Tension Experiment, an instrumental progressive-metal super-group he created in 1997 with John Petrucci on guitar, Jordan Rudess on keyboards, and Tony Levin on bass and Chapman stick. Transatlantic was the name of the progressive-rock band Mike Portnoy put together next, more precisely, in 1999.

Mike Portnoy worked on two studio albums with progressive-rock band OSI, and on the recording of Avenged Sevenfold’s Nightmare (2010) as well. Since 2003, Mike Portnoy has contributed drums to seven of Neal Morse‘s releases. Besides the original material Mike Portnoy has recorded with the many artists and bands he has been a part of, he has created tribute bands in honor of his favorite classic rock bands: Yellow Matter Custard (The Beatles tribute band), Hammer of the Gods (Led Zeppelin tribute band), Cygnus and the Sea Monsters (Rush tribute band), and Amazing Journey (The Who tribute band).

On September 8, 2010, the unthinkable happened. Mike Portnoy released an official statement where he informed the world that he had left Dream Theater. It all came about when the remaining band-members vetoed Mike Portnoy’s request of Dream Theater going into an indefinite hiatus. Mike Portnoy was feeling burned out by 25 years of non-stop commitment to the Dream Theater. Therefore, a big break was something he was really in need of. Due to the band’s decision of continuing without him, Mike Portnoy decided to terminate his involvement with Dream Theater for good.

Portnoy later announced that he had started two new musical projects: Adrenaline Mob, with Russell Allen, Mike Orlando, Rich Ward and Paul DiLeo; and Flying Colors, with Neal Morse, Steve Morse, Dave LaRue and Casey McPherson. Adrenaline Mob released its debut EP in August 2011. Both bands released their first full albums in 2012.

Portnoy and guitarist John Sykes had begun working on a new band in July 2011, together with bassist Billy Sheehan. In January 2012, however, the project quietly dissolved, and Portnoy announced that he and Sheehan had selected guitarist Richie Kotzen to replace Sykes. The album was recorded throughout August 2012. On March 24, 2013, it was announced that the name of the Portnoy/Sheehan/Kotzen band would be called The Winery Dogs. The album was released in July 2013.

Portnoy played drums on Progressive Rock band Bigelf's 2013 album. He has clarified that he was "just helping Damon (Fox, Bigelf frontman)", however, and is not a member of the band.

On June 4, 2013, Portnoy announced via Adrenaline Mob's Facebook page that he would be playing only four more shows with the band before departing. Portnoy cited scheduling conflicts that prevented him from being able "to fully commit to the band's future activities at the moment." On March 21, 2015 Mike Portnoy rejoined his old bandmates in Adrenaline Mob in New Jersey for a tribute to A.J. Pero, who died on March 20, 2015 from a massive heart attack. Additionally, Portnoy filled in as drummer for Twisted Sister following Pero's passing.

Achievements

• 

  Mike Portnoy established himself as one of the top drumming figures of modern rock and heavy-metal drumming during his 25-year stint with Dream Theater. Portnoy has won 23 awards from Modern Drummer magazine, including "Best Up & Coming Talent" (one time), "Best Clinician" (two times), "Best Educational Video/DVD" (two times), "Best recorded performance" (6 times) and "Best Progressive Rock Drummer" (for 12 consecutive years), and is also the second youngest person (at 37 years of age) to be inducted into the Rock Drummer Hall of Fame since Neil Peart was inducted in 1983 (at 31 years of age).
  
  In the October 2009 issue of Rhythm Magazine, Portnoy was listed as #5 in their list of the Top 50 Drummers of All Time.

Works

More photos

• music

  • When Dream & Day Unite 1989
  • Images & Words 1992
  • Awake 1994
  • Change Of Seasons 1995
  • Working Man A Tribute 1996
  • Falling Into Infinity 1997
  • Liquid Tension Experiment 1998
  • Liquid Tension Experiment 2 1999
  • Metropolis Part 2: Scenes from a Memory 1999
  • Encores Legends and Paradox 1999
  • Bridge Across Forever 2001
  • Rama 1 2001
  • Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
  • Office of Strategic Influence 2003
  • Testimony 2003
  • Twist of Fate 2003
  • Train of Thought 2003
  • One 2004
  • Octavarium 2005
  • ? 2005
  • Free 2006
  • Two Nights In North America 2006
  • One Night in Chicago 2006
  • Sola Scriptura 2007
  • Systematic Chaos 2007
  • Spontaneous Combustion 2007
  • Amazing Journey 2007
  • Lifeline 2008
  • Whirlwind 2009
  • Black Clouds & Silver Linings 2009
  • Nightmare 2010
  • Welcome to the Family 2010
  • Testimony 2 2011
  • One Night In New York City 2011
  • Omerta 2012
  • Flying Colors 2012
  • Cover 2 Cover 2012
  • Momentum 2012
  • A Proggy Christmas 2012
  • The Winery Dogs 2013
  • Kaleidoscope 2014
  • Restoration Ep 2014
  • Grand Experiment 2015
  • Metal Allegiance 2015
  • Hot Streak 2015
  • Second Flight: Live At The Z7 2015
  • The Similitude of a Dream 2015
  • Psychotic Symphony 2017
  • Volume II: Power Drunk Majesty

• usic

  • Stone Pushing Uphill Man 2014

Religion

Portnoy comes from a Jewish family, but doesn't actively practice the religion.

Politics

Portnoy said in Twitter: "I think the Electoral Voting system is ludicrous...I just don't get it."

Views

Mike is known for his use of odd time signatures, such as playing something in 9/8 time on the cymbals and something in 4/4 time on the snare. An example of this is in the song Voices in the Dream Theater album Awake. Portnoy is also known to have an affinity for more simplistic drumming, however, and half of his drumkit is modeled after that of John Bonham.

Mike Portnoy started an YtseJam Records series in response to Dream Theater fans' affinity for live versions of their concerts. Dream Theater is one of the most actively bootlegged bands in the progressive metal genre. Since their very first shows in New York as Majesty, fans have recorded almost every single show that Dream Theater have played (occasionally there are three or four versions of a single concert), and some very elaborate and professional recordings have been released.

Portnoy is the most pro-bootlegging member, since he was an avid collector of many bootlegs in his younger days and keeps his own personal archive of Dream Theater material in his basement.

Quotations: "To me, the most important tool is not a physical or a technical one. It's more of a cerebral one. It's your brain. It's about having an interest in experimenting musically, perhaps touching on several different genres of music. No doubt, the most important tool is the mind. It's the willingness to experiment freely."

"One of my biggest concerns was how defensive the fans would be over The REV's drum throne. I'm grateful they have been welcoming."

Personality

Portnoy is considered to be, for the most part, a very approachable, friendly person who gets along easily with most people. He has a good relationship with his band mates, with minimal conflicts. Portnoy had some resentment towards Petrucci and LaBrie during the making of Falling Into Infinity, though this was only temporary. Portnoy has rare feuds, a notable one being with Geoff Tate after he insulted Dream Theater on the Eddie Trunk show. Occasionally a misunderstanding can lead to the appearance of a feud, such as between Portnoy and Neil Peart, but these things are usually cleared up fairly quickly. Portnoy has formed friendships with many other musicians, including Neal Morse, Chris Jericho and Rob Bellamy, and non musicians such as Eddie Trunk and Mike Piazza.

Portnoy's relationship with fans can best be described as exceptional, as fans have found him to be approachable and amiable towards them, signing autographs upon request and chatting with fans. Portnoy organized the "meet and greet" program at Dream Theater shows to further connect with fans, with the money from it going directly into show production. Portnoy's website has a popular forum which he posts on frequently, often conversing directly to fans or answering their questions. However, Portnoy can become frustrated with a certain aspect of the fandom, and feels that a small percentage will never be happy no matter what he does for them, leading to a few tirades and the song Never Enough.

Physical Characteristics: Height - 5' 10''.

Hair color - Black.

Eye color - Green.

Portnoy suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which can make it hard to keep his professional and personal lives separate, though it is said that his family is very understanding and will often accompany him on tour to spend more time with him. Portnoy's OCD manifests itself in compulsive list-making, as he has hundreds of lists, some of which he will occasionally post on his website.

Portnoy is a recovering alcoholic, having gone through the 12-step program sometime after the tour in support of Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory. Always a drinker, Portnoy's drinking turned into a problem in 1998 due to frustration with the band's situation. His drinking continued to increase and was said to be at its peak in 2000, often manifesting itself in strange behavior and tirades at shows, something Portnoy is personally embarrassed about. One infamous incident referred to as "The Breakdown In Berlin" featured a very incoherent Portnoy at a drum-clinic, who wore underwear on his head, stumbled and fell on stage and ranted nonsensically.

Following his induction into Alcoholics Anonymous, Portnoy's outlook has shifted and he has turned his drive and obsessiveness into positive ventures. Portnoy penned the song The Glass Prison about his battles with alcohol, dedicating it to "Bill W and all his friends" meaning the founder of AA and all of its members. Portnoy soon after announced that the song was the first three parts of a 12 part saga that would detail the 12-step program, which continued with This Dying Soul, The Root of All Evil, Repentance, and The Shattered Fortress. As a part of the 9th step, which asks participants to apologize to people they have wronged in the past, Portnoy gave an open invitation to various friends to record apologies for the song Repentance, which included Mikael Åkerfeldt, Daniel Gildenlow, Neal Morse, Steven Wilson and Corey Taylor among others.

Interests

• Favorite TV shows: Twin Peaks, The Simpsons, The Twilight Zone, The Sopranos.
  
  Favorite Actors: Robert DeNiro, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino.
  
  Favorite Directors: Woody Allen, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick.
  
  Favorite Food: Fast food, especially Taco Bell.
  
  An avid collector of many things, Mike has a vast array of Dream Theater memorabilia including bootlegs, posters, clippings and everything else under the sun with the band's name on it. He is also responsible for capturing everything the band does on video tape and DAT. His huge video collection includes favorite films as 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Jacob's Ladder and The Wall along with episodes of The Simpsons and memorable boxing matches.

• Sport & Clubs

  boxing

• Music & Bands

  Neil Peart, Carl Palmer, Bill Bruford, Terry Bozzio, Billy Cobham, Alan White, Stewart Copeland, Phil Collins, Chester Thompson, Simon Phillips, Nick D'Virgilio, Andy Sturmer, Dave Lombardo, Jon Fishman, Vinnie Colaiuta, Peter Criss, Ringo Starr, Tommy Lee, John Bonham, Lars Ulrich, Keith Moon

Connections

Portnoy currently lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Marlene Portnoy and children Max and Melody.

Wife:

Marlene Portnoy

Son:

Max Portnoy

Daughter:

Melody Portnoy

colleague:

John Petrucci

John Peter Petrucci is an American guitarist, composer and producer. He is best known as a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.

colleague:

Jordan Rudess

Jordan Rudess is an American virtuoso keyboardist and composer best known as a member of the progressive metal/rock band Dream Theater and the progressive rock supergroup Liquid Tension Experiment.

colleague:

James LaBrie

Kevin James LaBrie is a Canadian vocalist and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the American progressive metal band Dream Theater, which he has fronted since 1991.

colleague:

John Myung

John Ro Myung is an American bassist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Dream Theater.

References

• Lifting Shadows the Authorized Biography of Dream Theater
• Modern Drummer Magazine (December 1997)
• Drum Magazine: Mike Portnoy (Dec 2002 / Jan 2003)