Alan Moore (drummer)
Encyclopedia
Alan Moore is a former British
musician
, who is best known as the second official drummer
of the heavy metal
band Judas Priest
, who played on their second album, Sad Wings of Destiny
(1976).
Moore was already active in the Birmingham
rock
, blues
, folk
and country
scene, and played with numerous bands, including The Young Casuals, The Other Lot, The Outer Light, Gabriel Oak, Glad Stallion, Tendency Jones and Pendulum. He was first approached by guitarist K. K. Downing
and bassist Ian Hill
in 1971, and joined in the early and unofficial phase of the newly-born Judas Priest for a period of about a year (during this time Al Atkins
was still the vocalist). He left in 1972 to join the Birmingham country rock
band, Sundance, with whom he recorded the album Rain, Steam, Speed (1974), and their single, "Coming Down".
In 1975, drummer John Hinch
left Judas Priest, and Downing and Hill re-approached Moore. For the second time, Moore joined the band, making him the only drummer in the history of Judas Priest to have two separate stints. In 1976, they recorded the album Sad Wings of Destiny. Despite the success of the album, Moore decided to leave again, only this time permanently.
Moore continued to play with other bands, including Zenda Jacks Stormbringer and others. Eventually, he retired from music and worked as a truck driver
, disappearing into anonymity.
Several musical biographers, journalist
s, band members, and fans have tried to trace Moore without success. In the official biography The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith, author Neil Daniels
said that Moore was the only former member of the band he could not trace at all.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, who is best known as the second official drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
of the heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, who played on their second album, Sad Wings of Destiny
Sad Wings of Destiny
-CD Track listing:The 1995 CD reissue by Repertoire Records had track 3 labeled as "Dream Deceiver" rather than "Dreamer Deceiver", this was later changed back to its original title on the 1998 release by Snapper Music. None of the reissues of Sad Wings of Destiny are endorsed by Judas Priest. -...
(1976).
Moore was already active in the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
scene, and played with numerous bands, including The Young Casuals, The Other Lot, The Outer Light, Gabriel Oak, Glad Stallion, Tendency Jones and Pendulum. He was first approached by guitarist K. K. Downing
K. K. Downing
Kenneth "K.K." Downing, Jr. is a Grammy Award winning guitarist, songwriter and a founding member of the British heavy metal band Judas Priest...
and bassist Ian Hill
Ian Hill
Ian Hill is a founding member and bassist for the Birmingham-based Grammy award winning heavy metal band, Judas Priest....
in 1971, and joined in the early and unofficial phase of the newly-born Judas Priest for a period of about a year (during this time Al Atkins
Al Atkins
Alan John "Al" Atkins is an English heavy metal vocalist, perhaps best known for his association with Judas Priest...
was still the vocalist). He left in 1972 to join the Birmingham country rock
Country rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
band, Sundance, with whom he recorded the album Rain, Steam, Speed (1974), and their single, "Coming Down".
In 1975, drummer John Hinch
John Hinch (musician)
Frederick "John" Hinch is a British drummer, the second drummer of heavy metal band Judas Priest. Hinch is a jazz-rock styled drummer with a very compact style....
left Judas Priest, and Downing and Hill re-approached Moore. For the second time, Moore joined the band, making him the only drummer in the history of Judas Priest to have two separate stints. In 1976, they recorded the album Sad Wings of Destiny. Despite the success of the album, Moore decided to leave again, only this time permanently.
Moore continued to play with other bands, including Zenda Jacks Stormbringer and others. Eventually, he retired from music and worked as a truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
, disappearing into anonymity.
Several musical biographers, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s, band members, and fans have tried to trace Moore without success. In the official biography The Story Of Judas Priest: Defenders Of The Faith, author Neil Daniels
Neil Daniels
Neil Daniels is a freelance British writer specialising in rock and heavy metal. Educated at Middlesex University, where he obtained a BA Honours degree in Film Studies, he has written books on Judas Priest, Robert Plant, Bon Jovi and Linkin Park. He co-authored Dawn Of The Metal Gods: My Life In...
said that Moore was the only former member of the band he could not trace at all.