List of Scorpions members

Scorpions performing live in 2014 (top) and 2015 (bottom).

Scorpions are a German rock band from Hanover. Formed in 1964 by rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rudolf Schenker, the band went through numerous changes in personnel in its early years before settling on a lineup which included lead vocalist Klaus Meine, lead guitarist Michael Schenker (Rudolf's younger brother), bassist Lothar Heimberg and drummer Wolfgang Dziony to record their debut album Lonesome Crow, released in 1972.^[1][2] Michael Schenker, Heimberg and Dziony all left after the album's release, with Rudolf Schenker and Meine briefly disbanding the group and joining Dawn Road, featuring guitarist Uli Jon Roth, bassist Francis Buchholz, drummer Jürgen Rosenthal and keyboardist Achim Kirschning; the six-piece later opted to adopt the Scorpions moniker, and in 1974 released Fly to the Rainbow.^[3]

Rosenthal left after the recording of Fly to the Rainbow, being replaced first by Jürgen Fechter and later by Rudy Lenners, who performed on In Trance and Virgin Killer.^[4][5] In 1977, Lenners was replaced by Herman Rarebell, whose first recording with the band was Taken by Force.^[6] Roth left Scorpions the following year,^[7] which he has since explained was because he "began getting dissatisfied with the direction of the music" the band were making.^[8] Michael Schenker briefly returned to the band after being fired from UFO in late 1978, performing on four tracks for the album Lovedrive, although he was replaced the following year by Matthias Jabs who had joined around the same time.^[9] The Scorpions lineup of Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Jabs, Buccholz and Rarebell remained constant from 1978 and through the 1980s.^[1]

After 19 years with the band, bassist Buchholz left Scorpions in 1992 due to fatigue arising from touring, as well as "business problems".^[10] He was replaced by Ralph Rieckermann later in the year.^[11] Drummer Rarebell also left three years later, claiming that he was unsatisfied with the band's changing musical direction, and the lack of songwriting input he was able to have in the band.^[12] He was replaced in 1996 by James Kottak,^[13] after Curt Cress performed on Pure Instinct.^[14] Rieckermann left Scorpions in 2003, with Paweł Mąciwoda taking his place early the following year.^[15] Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee replaced Kottak in the band in September 2016.^[16]

Members

Current

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Rudolf Schenker	1965–present	rhythm guitar backing vocals	all Scorpions releases
	Klaus Meine	1969–present	lead vocals
	Matthias Jabs	1978–present	lead guitar backing vocals	all Scorpions releases since Lovedrive (1979)
	Paweł Mąciwoda	2004–present	bass backing vocals	all Scorpions releases since Unbreakable (2004)
	Mikkey Dee	2016–present	drums	none

Former

Image	Name	Years active	Instruments	Release contributions
	Wolfgang Dziony	1965–1972	drums percussion backing vocals lead vocals (1965-1967)	Lonesome Crow (1972)
	Achim Kirchoff	1965–1968	bass	none
	Karl-Heinz Vollmer	1965–1967	lead guitar backing vocals
	Werner Hoyer	1967	lead vocals
	Ulrich Worobiec	1967–1969	lead guitar backing vocals
	Bernd Hegner		lead vocals
	Lothar Heimberg	1968–1972	bass backing vocals	Lonesome Crow (1972)
	Michael Schenker	1969–1973 1978-1979	lead guitar backing vocals	Lonesome Crow (1972) Lovedrive (1979)
	Werner Lohr	1972	drums percussion	none
	Joe Wyman
	Helmut Eisenhut	1973
	Francis Buchholz	1973–1992	bass backing vocals	all Scorpions releases from Fly to the Rainbow (1974) to Crazy World (1990)
	Uli Jon Roth	1973–1978	lead guitar backing and occasional lead vocals	all Scorpions releases from Fly to the Rainbow (1974) to Tokyo Tapes (1978)
	Jürgen Rosenthal	1973–1974	drums percussion	Fly to the Rainbow (1974)
	Achim Kirschning	1973–1974 1975–1977 (touring)	keyboards synthesizers mellotron	Fly to the Rainbow (1974) In Trance (1975) Virgin Killer (1976)
	Jürgen Fechter	1974–1975	drums percussion	none
	Rudy Lenners	1975–1977	drums percussion	In Trance (1975) Virgin Killer (1976)
	Herman Rarebell	1977–1995	drums percussion backing vocals	all Scorpions releases from Taken by Force (1977) to Live Bites (1995)
	Ralph Rieckermann	1992–2003	bass backing vocals	all Scorpions releases from Face the Heat (1993) to Acoustica (2001)
	Curt Cress	1995–1996	drums percussion	Pure Instinct (1996)
	James Kottak	1996–2016	drums percussion backing vocals	all Scorpions releases from Eye II Eye (1999) to Return to Forever (2015)

Timeline

References

External links

• Scorpions official website