Drummer and back-up vocalist for the progressive rock group, Dream Theater,
Mike Portnoy was born on
April 20, 1967, and raised in Long Beach, New York. He became interested in music at a very young age; Portnoy said it himself, "It was inevitable that I'd become a musician.", and so he taught himself with only the help of music theory classes in
high school. Around this
time he bagan playing in local bands such as Intruder, Rising Power and Inner Sanctum, which actually released an album! But soon after recieving a scholarship for music, he attended Berklee College of Music in
Boston, MA, where then he met the
friends whom he would form a bond with that would lead to the arrangement of the progressive
metal group known as Dream Theater (UK: Dream Theatre).
Portnoy is well known for his speed and endurance, winning many awards, including the Modern Drummers Award, which he said himself was his dream come true, and that he is living his dream. In many ways, he is better than the well-known Neil Peart of Rush. While Neil Peart is an
amazing drummer, he is more the influence in this case, because
Mike Portnoy by far surpasses the skills that Neil Peart has ever brought forth. Portnoy is also (or has also been) the drummer in other bands quite similar to that of Dream Theater, such as Liquid Tension Experiment, TransAtlantic, O.S.I. (Office of Strategic Influence), and few more, including a Rush tribute performance. He has not only played along side his fellow Dream Theater members John Petrucci, John Myung, James LaBrie, and Jordan Rudess, (with past member's who've come and gone), but as well as many other musicians in his past, such as Maggie Estep, Kevin Shirley,
Doug Oberkircher, and
Jay Beckenstein.
"Wow...I really love
Mike Portnoy's style of drumming. I mean, not only are his chops most excellent, but look at that bass drum technique! It's like, how could anyone synchronize that many licks with their feet, while still keeping good rhythms going using both wrists? I don't know how he does it, but only one word can
fit the description of
talent that he holds: Godlike."