View source for Scott Travis

{{short description|American drummer (born 1961)}}
{{Distinguish|Travis Scott}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image           = Scott Travis2005.jpg
| name            = Scott Travis
| caption         = Travis in 2004
| image_upright   = 
| alias           = 
| birth_name      = Mark Scott Travis
| birth_date      = {{Birth date and age|1961|9|6}}
| birth_place     = [[Norfolk, Virginia]], U.S.<ref name="birth">Virginia, Birth Records, 1864–2014</ref><ref name="Interview">{{cite web| url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhRjKL4jYB4| title= Interview with Scott Travis from the DVD "Classic Albums – British Steel" | website= [[YouTube]] | access-date=March 10, 2010}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead YouTube link|date=February 2022}}</ref>
| death_date      = 
| genre           = {{flatlist|
* [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]
* [[speed metal]]
* [[hard rock]]
}}
| instrument      = Drums 
| occupation      = Musician
| years_active    = 1981–present
| current_member_of = {{flatlist|
* [[Judas Priest]] 
* [[Thin Lizzy]]
}}
| past_member_of = {{flatlist|
* [[Racer X (band)|Racer X]]
* [[The Scream (band)|The Scream]]
* [[Fight (band)|Fight]]
* [[Animetal USA]]
* [[Elegant Weapons]]
}}
| website         = 
}}
'''Mark Scott Travis''' (born September 6, 1961)<ref name="birth" /> is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the English [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Judas Priest]], the Irish rock band [[Thin Lizzy]], and the [[supergroup (music)|supergroup]] [[Elegant Weapons]]. He was also a longtime member of the American heavy metal band [[Racer X (band)|Racer X]] during their initial run and then reformation up until their 2009 breakup.<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p14015/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Racer X|last=Huey|first=Steve|website=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=June 12, 2010}}</ref>

As a member of Judas Priest, he was inducted into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 2022.

== Biography ==
Born in [[Norfolk, Virginia]], Travis was a well-known drummer in the local music scene of a region known as [[Hampton Roads]] during the early 1980s.  Playing with bands in clubs throughout Norfolk, [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]], and [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]]. Travis moved to [[California]] in the early to mid-1980s and performed in various local bands, such as Hawk, later moving on to perform for the critically acclaimed band [[Racer X (band)|Racer X]], and very briefly performed in Saints Or Sinners, which later changed their name to [[The Scream (band)|The Scream]], and also featured Travis's Racer X bandmates [[Bruce Bouillet]] and [[Juan Alderete]]. His big career move came about late in the decade after [[Judas Priest]]'s longtime drummer [[Dave Holland (drummer)|Dave Holland]] left the band in 1989, citing personal reasons.

Travis had always wanted to be the drummer of Judas Priest. As a teenager, he had often thought about setting up his drum kit in the parking lot at the [[Hampton Coliseum]] in hopes that the band would notice him as they went past with their tour bus. He finally decided to wait at the back of the arena to hand the band a tape of his playing. Holland was still the band's drummer at the time, so nothing ever came out of the encounter. When Holland did leave Judas Priest in 1989, vocalist [[Jeff Martin (American musician)|Jeff Martin]] heard about it through his friendship with [[Rob Halford]]. Martin called up Travis one day and said, "Guess who needs a drummer." Travis auditioned for the vacant position and became their new member, thus becoming the first non-Briton to perform for the band. He has been with the band ever since and also handles drum duties for Racer X as well. Travis also performed drums in Halford's band [[Fight (band)|Fight]] from 1992 to 1995, but to date, he is best known for his work with Judas Priest, for which he has been widely acclaimed ever since his debut on the 1990 album ''[[Painkiller (Judas Priest album)|Painkiller]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4646/biography|pure_url=yes}}|title=Biography: Judas Priest|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author2=Prato, Greg|website=[[Allmusic]]|access-date=June 12, 2010}}</ref>

Travis was largely responsible for hiring [[Tim 'Ripper' Owens]] as Halford's replacement in Judas Priest in 1996. Owens would remain in the band until the 2003 reunion with Halford.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU57Kj3A0NE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/vU57Kj3A0NE |archive-date=December 22, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Tim "Ripper" Owens Biography|work=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Travis takes credit as the co-writer for the song "Cyberface", which appears on Judas Priest's 2001 album ''[[Demolition (Judas Priest album)|Demolition]]'', making it his first and only contribution in the band.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Judas+Priest&titel=Cyberface&cat=s|title=JUDAS PRIEST – CYBERFACE|work=lescharts.com}}</ref>

In April 2016, Travis joined the reformed line-up of [[Thin Lizzy]] for reunion shows and has remained in the band as their official member.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metalinsider.net/updates/mikkey-dee-drops-out-of-thin-lizzy-aerosmiths-tom-hamilton-and-judas-priests-scott-travis-jump-in|author=Shaw, Zach|title=Mikkey Dee drops out of Thin Lizzy, Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton and Judas Priest's Scott Travis jump in|date=April 19, 2016|publisher=Metal Insider|access-date=April 19, 2016}}</ref>

He is commonly mistaken to be left-handed. In reality, he is [[ambidextrous]], and plays with an open style. He is 6'6" tall.{{Citation required|date=March 2024}}

== Equipment ==
Travis always used [[Tama Drums]] until 2008. On the first leg of the Judas Priest "[[Nostradamus World Tour|Nostradamus Tour]]" he played a [[Pearl Drums|Pearl]] kit and then switched to a [[Drum Workshop|DW]] kit for the second leg. He was also seen using a DW kit at the [[NAMM Show]] with his band Racer X. His DW setup is: two 23"x24" bass drums, 14"x6.5" snare,8"x8" 10"x9" 12"x9" and 14"x10" rack toms and 16"x14" and 18"x16" floor toms. Travis has played [[Paiste]] cymbals since May 1987. He also plays [[Evans Drumheads|Evans]] drum heads and uses [[Vater Percussion|Vater]] drumsticks.

== Discography ==
=== Racer X ===
*''[[Second Heat]]'' (1987)
*''[[Extreme Volume Live]]'' (1988)
*''[[Extreme Volume II Live]]'' (1992)
*''[[Technical Difficulties (Racer X album)|Technical Difficulties]]'' (1999)
*''[[Superheroes (Racer X album)|Superheroes]]'' (2000)
*''[[Getting Heavier (album)|Getting Heavier]]'' (2002)

=== Judas Priest ===
*''[[Painkiller (Judas Priest album)|Painkiller]]'' (1990)
*''[[Jugulator]]'' (1997)
*''[['98 Live Meltdown]]'' (1998)
*''[[Demolition (Judas Priest album)|Demolition]]'' (2001)
*''[[Live in London (Judas Priest album)|Live in London]]'' (2003)
*''[[Angel of Retribution]]'' (2005)
*''[[Nostradamus (album)|Nostradamus]]'' (2008)
*''[[A Touch of Evil: Live]]'' (2009)
*''[[Redeemer of Souls]]'' (2014)
*''[[Battle Cry (Judas Priest DVD)|Battle Cry]]'' (2016)
*''[[Firepower (album)|Firepower]]'' (2018)
*''[[Invincible Shield]]'' (2024)

=== Fight ===
*''[[War of Words (Fight album)|War of Words]]'' (1993)
*''[[Mutations (Fight album)|Mutations]]'' (1994)
*''[[A Small Deadly Space]]'' (1995)

=== Hawk ===
*''[[Hawk (Hawk album)|Let the Metal Live]]'' (2009)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Judas Priest}}
{{Thin Lizzy}}
{{Racer X}}
{{Fight}}
{{Animetal}}
{{2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Travis, Scott}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American heavy metal drummers]]
[[Category:American rock drummers]]
[[Category:Judas Priest members]]

[[Category:Racer X (band) members]]
[[Category:The Scream (band) members]]
[[Category:Musicians from Norfolk, Virginia]]
[[Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:20th-century American drummers]]
[[Category:American male drummers]]
[[Category:Animetal USA members]]
[[Category:Drummers from Virginia]]