Scott Raynor

Scott William Raynor, Jr. (born May 23, 1978) is an American musician, best known as the original drummer of the rock band Blink-182. Born in Poway, California, Raynor first approached the drums in his preteens as a fan of Metallica. He joined Blink-182 at 14 years old and continued with the band; by the time he was 19, the group had accumulated a large fan base and a gold record, Dude Ranch. His alcohol abuse caused tension in the trio and eventually led to his firing from the band midway through a 1998 tour where Travis Barker replaced him.

Since his departure from the group, Raynor has performed with a wide variety of groups and contributed to the charity StandUp for Kids.

Life and career

Raynor began playing drums in his preteens, forming a group with friend Ryan Kennedy at age 11 to perform at a school competition – "a kind of 'show and tell' thing," Raynor later recalled. The duo were initially inspired by Metallica, but found their material far too technical; they instead played "Twist of Cain" by Danzig and "London Dungeon" by the Misfits. Raynor's first legitimate performance consisted of a cover of "Vlad the Impaler" by Gwar.