John Steel

For other persons named John Steel, see John Steel (disambiguation).

John Steel (born 4 February 1941, Gateshead, England) was the original drummer of the band, The Animals, and is the owner of the rights to the band's name, by virtue of a trademark registration.

Steel went to the Gateshead Grammar School. Originally a trumpet player, he met the future lead singer of The Animals, Eric Burdon, while they were studying together at the Newcastle College of Art and Industrial Design. They switched from jazz to embrace the new rock 'n' roll explosion.

In March 1959, Steel met Alan Price at a church hop in Byker, Newcastle, and with Hilton Valentine (guitar) and Chas Chandler (bass) formed a band; by 1960 the Alan Price Combo had acquired a reputation in Newcastle. Burdon joined in 1962 from a band called The Pagans, and The Animals were born.

Steel went on to play and record with them until March 1966. His last charted single with the group was "Inside Looking Out".

Subsequently Steel returned to Newcastle and became a businessman, while also working in former bandmate Chas Chandler's management and publishing organisations. In 1971 Chandler introduced him to Eggs over Easy, with whom he played as they started the pub rock music genre. Over the years Steel has remained active as a part-time local drummer and has joined several Animals' reunion incarnations.

Steel has toured since 1993 as the drummer with variations of The Animals line-up, including Hilton Valentine, Dave Rowberry, Zoot Money and Mick Gallagher. In 1993, Hilton Valentine formed "Animals II" and was joined by John Steel in 1994 and Dave Rowberry in 1999. Other members of this version of the band include Steve Hutchinson, Steve Dawson and Martin Bland. From 1999 until Valentine's departure in 2001. the band toured as The Animals. After Valentine left these Animals in 2001, Steel and Rowberry continued on as "Animals and Friends", with Peter Barton, Jim Rodford and John Williamson. When Rowberry died in 2003, he was replaced by Mickey Gallagher (who had briefly replaced Alan Price in 1965). Animals and Friends continues to perform today, and frequently plays engagements on a Color Line ship that travels between Scandinavia and Germany.

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