Who played drums in the group, Thin Lizzy?

Brian Downey played drums in Thin Lizzy. He was a founding member of the Irish rock band and remained its principal drummer throughout its classic era.

Downey and bassist-singer Phil Lynott had known each other since their school days in Dublin. In 1969, they formed Thin Lizzy with guitarist Eric Bell and keyboardist Eric Wrixon. That original lineup soon established the band’s blues-rock foundation, with Downey’s drumming providing much of its drive and flexibility.

He played on major Thin Lizzy albums including Fighting, Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, Bad Reputation, and Live and Dangerous. His prominent drum solo in “Sha La La,” featured on Live and Dangerous, became one of his best-known showcases. Downey briefly stepped away from touring at times, and substitute drummers were used on some occasions, but he remained the band’s defining drummer and a core member.

A common mix-up is confusing Downey with the band’s guitarists—Eric Bell, Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, or Scott Gorham—or with later touring drummers. For the standard question about Thin Lizzy’s drummer, Brian Downey is the canonical answer.