# List of Scorpions members

Scorpions are a German rock band from Hanover, formed in 1965. The band went through numerous changes in personnel in its early years. Founding by rhythm/lead guitarist Rudolf Schenker and drummer Wolfgang Dziony; both at that point shared lead vocals. In addition to them, the band also included lead/rhythm guitarist Karl-Heinz Vollmer and bassist Achim Kirchhoff.

## History
### 1960s

By 1967, Schenker, realizing that he could not sing and play the guitar at the same time, invited the 15-year-old Werner Hoyer to take the place of the vocalist.
At the end of that year, Hoyer and Vollmer left, and their places were soon taken by Bernd Hegner and Ulrich Worobiec.
In the spring of 1968, bass guitarist Achim Kirchhoff was replaced by Lothar Heimberg.
In late, 1969 Hegner and Worobiec also left. After that, the group settled on a lineup which included lead vocalist Klaus Meine, lead guitarist Michael Schenker (Rudolf's younger brother), bass-guitarist Lothar Heimberg and drummer Wolfgang Dziony. It is in this composition that they recorded their debut album Lonesome Crow, released in 1972.

### 1970s and 1980s

Dziony left after the album's release, and was briefly replaced by Werner Löhr. In late 1972 the drummer was Israeli born American Joe Wyman and when he left in December, Dziony came back to complete a tour. For the January 1973 tour with Rory Gallagher they had Helmut Eisenhut on drums. When Eisenhut died and Heimberg left in the summer of 1973, they briefly played with the rhythm section Ewi (bass) and Hal Fingerhood (drums).
When Michael Schenker left to join UFO in July 1973, Rudolf Schenker and Meine briefly disbanded the group and joined Dawn Road, featuring guitarist Uli Jon Roth (who had already replaced Schenker at a festival show in June with Eisenhut back on drums), bass-guitarist Francis Buchholz, drummer Jürgen Rosenthal (later in Eloy) and keyboardist Achim Kirschning; the six-piece later opted to adopt the Scorpions moniker, and in 1974 released Fly to the Rainbow.
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. In 1977, Lenners was replaced by Herman Rarebell, whose first recording with the band was Taken by Force. Roth left Scorpions the following year, which he has since explained was because he "began getting dissatisfied with the direction of the music" the band were making. 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. The Scorpions lineup of Meine, Rudolf Schenker, Jabs, Buchholz and Rarebell remained constant from 1978 and through the 1980s.

### 1980s

After 19 years with the band, bassist Francis Buchholz left Scorpions in 1992. He was replaced by Ralph Rieckermann later in the year. Drummer Rarebell also left four 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. He was replaced in 1996 by James Kottak, after Curt Cress performed on Pure Instinct.

### 21st century

Rieckermann left Scorpions in 2003, with Paweł Mąciwoda taking his place early the following year. Former Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee replaced Kottak in the band in September 2016.

## Members
### Current

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Rudolf Schenker | 1965–present | rhythm, lead and slide guitarsbacking vocalslead vocals (1965–1967 and occasionally after) | all Scorpions releases |
| Klaus Meine | 1969–present | lead and backing vocalslive rhythm guitar and tambourine | all Scorpions releases |
| Matthias Jabs | 1978–present | lead and rhythm guitarsbacking vocals | all Scorpions releases from Lovedrive (1979) onwards |
| Paweł Mąciwoda | 2004–present | bassbacking vocals | all Scorpions releases from Unbreakable (2004) onwards |
| Mikkey Dee | 2016–present | drums | Born to Touch Your Feelings: Best of Rock Ballads (2017) – three new tracksRock Believer (2022) |

### Former

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Wolfgang Dziony | 1965–19721972 | drumsbacking vocalslead vocals (1965–1967) | Lonesome Crow (1972) |
| Achim Kirchhoff | 1965–1968 (died 1977) | bass | none |
| Karl-Heinz Vollmer | 1965–1967 | lead and rhythm guitar | none |
| Werner Hoyer | 1967 | lead vocals | none |
| Bernd Hegner | 1967–1969 | lead vocals | none |
| Gerd Andre | 1967–1969 | lead vocals | none |
| Ulrich Worobiec | 1967–1969 | lead and slide guitar |
| Lothar Heimberg | 1968–1973 | bassbacking vocals | Lonesome Crow (1972) |
| Michael Schenker | 1969–19731978–1979 (session)2006 (guest) | lead and slide guitarbacking vocals | Lonesome Crow (1972)Lovedrive (1979)Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 (2007) |
| Werner Löhr | 1972 | drums | none |
| Joe Wyman | 1972 | drums | none |
| Helmut Eisenhut | 1973 (until his death) | drums | none |
| Hal Fingerhood | 1973 | drums | none |
| "Ewi" | 1973 | bass | none |
| Francis Buchholz | 1973–1992 | bassbacking vocalskeyboards (1983–1984) | all Scorpions releases from Fly to the Rainbow (1974) to Crazy World Tour Live... Berlin 1991 (1991)Live Bites (1995) |
| Uli Jon Roth | 1973–19782006 (guest) | lead and slide guitarbacking and lead vocals | all Scorpions releases from Fly to the Rainbow (1974) to Tokyo Tapes (1978)Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 (2007) |
| Achim Kirschning | 1973–1977 (session/touring) | keyboardssynthesizersMellotron | Fly to the Rainbow (1974)In Trance (1975)Virgin Killer (1976) |
| Jürgen Rosenthal | 1973–1974 | drums | Fly to the Rainbow (1974) |
| Jürgen Fechter | 1974–1975 | drums | none |
| Rudy Lenners | 1975–1977 | drums | In Trance (1975)Virgin Killer (1976) |
| Herman Rarebell | 1977–19962006 (guest) | drumspercussionbacking vocalskeyboards (1991) | all Scorpions releases from Taken by Force (1977) to Live Bites (1995)Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 (2007) |
| Ralph Rieckermann | 1993–2003 | bassbacking vocals | all Scorpions releases from Face the Heat (1993) to Bad for Good (2002) – two new tracks |
| James Kottak | 1996–2016 (died 2024) | drumsbacking vocals | all Scorpions releases from Eye II Eye (1999) to Forever and a Day (2016) |

### Session

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Allan Macmillan | 1979–1980 | strings and horns arrangementsconductor | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Adele Arman | 1979–1980 | violins | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Victoria Richard | 1979–1980 | violins | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Paul Arman | 1979–1980 | viola | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Richard Arman | 1979–1980 | cello | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Charles Elliot | 1979–1980 | double bass | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Melvin Berman | 1979–1980 (died 2008) | oboe | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| George Stimpson | 1979–1980 | French horns | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Brad Wamaar | 1979–1980 | French horns | Animal Magnetism (1980) |
| Don Dokken | 1981–1982 | backing vocals | Blackout (1982) |
| Lee Aaron | 1987–1988 | backing vocals | Savage Amusement (1988) |
| Peter Baltes | 1987–1988 | vocals | Savage Amusement (1988) |
| Koen van Baal | 19901996 | keyboardsarrangements | Crazy World (1990) Pure Instinct (1996) Unbreakable (2004) |
| Jim Vallance | 1990 | keyboards | Crazy World (1990) |
| Roy Tesse | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Dries van der Schuyt | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Ria Makker | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Gerard v.d. Pot | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Louis Spillman | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Wolfgang Praetz | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Inka Esser | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Claudia Frohling | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Cliff Roles | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Peter Angmeer | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Tony Ioannoua | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Jim Lewis | 1990 | "gang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Erwin Musper | 1990 | "gang" vocals"bang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Keith Olsen | 1990 | "gang" vocals"bang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Marcel Gelderblom | 1990 | "bang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Mirjam Erftemeijer | 1990 | "bang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Henk Horden | 1990 | "bang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| Patrick Ulenberg | 1990 | "bang" vocals | Crazy World (1990) |
| John Webster | 1993 | keyboards | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Luke Herzog | 1993 | keyboardsarrangements | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Helen Donath | 1993 | opera voice | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Rhian Gittins | 1993 | girl's voice | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Paul Laine | 1993 | backing vocals | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Mark LaFrance | 1993 | backing vocals | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Bruce Fairbairn | 1993 (died 1999) | backing vocals | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Mark Hudson | 1993 | backing vocals | Face the Heat (1993) |
| Curt Cress | 1996 | drumspercussion | Pure Instinct (1996) |
| Pitti Hecht | 1996 | percussion | Pure Instinct (1996) |
| Luke Herzog | 1996 | keyboards | Pure Instinct (1996) |
| David Foster | 1996 | keyboards | Pure Instinct (1996) |
| Claude Gaudette | 1996 | keyboards | Pure Instinct (1996) |
| Peter Wolf | 1998–1999 | keyboards and piano | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| Mick Jones | 1998–1999 | acoustic guitar | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| Michelle Wolf | 1998–1999 | backing vocals | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| Siedah Garrett | 1998–1999 | backing vocals | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| Lynn Davis | 1998–1999 | backing vocals | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| James Ingram | 1998–1999 (died 2019) | backing vocals | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| Phil Perry | 1998–1999 | backing vocals | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| Kevin Dorsey | 1998–1999 | backing vocals | Eye II Eye (1999) |
| Lyn Liechty | 2000 | vocals | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Ray Wilson | 2000 | vocals | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Zucchero | 2000 | vocals | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Guenther Becker | 2000 | sitar | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Stefan Schrupp | 2000 | drum and computer programming | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Gumpoldtskirchener Spatzen, Vienna | 2000 | children's choir | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Vince Pirillo | 2000 | choir | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Kai Petersen | 2000 | choir | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Michael Perfler | 2000 | choir | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Susie Webb | 2000 | backing vocals | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Zoë Nicholas | 2000 | backing vocals | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Rita Campbell | 2000 | backing vocals | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Melanie Marshall | 2000 | backing vocals | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Ken Taylor | 2000 | bass | Moment of Glory (2000) |
| Barry Sparks | 2003–2004 | bass | Unbreakable (2004) |
| Ingo Powitzer | 2003–2004 | bass | Unbreakable (2004) |
| Ralph de Jongh | 2003–2004 | backing vocals | Unbreakable (2004) |
| Joss Mennen | 2003–2004 | backing vocals | Unbreakable (2004) |
| Alex Jansen | 2003–2004 | backing vocals | Unbreakable (2004) |
| Jody's Kids Choir | 2003–2004 | additional vocals | Unbreakable (2004) |
| Billy Corgan | 2006–2017 | vocals | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Eric Bazilian | 2006–2017 | guitar | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| John 5 | 2006–2017 | guitar | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Russ Irwin | 2006–2017 | piano | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Harry Sommerdahl | 2006–2017 | programming | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Jason Paige | 2006–2017 | backing vocals | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Jeanette Olsson | 2006–2017 | backing vocals | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Desmond Child | 2006–2017 | backing vocals | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| James Michael | 2006–2017 | backing vocals | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Angela Whittaker | 2006–2017 | voice-overs | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Roman Shaw Child | 2006–2017 | voice-overs | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| David Campbell | 2006–2017 | orchestra conductor | Humanity: Hour I (2007) |
| Tarja Turunen | 2009 | vocals | Sting in the Tail (2010) |
| Mikael Nord Andersson | 2009 | gang vocals | Sting in the Tail (2010) |
| Ingo Powitzer | 2020–2021 | additional guitars and bassguitar soloadditional background vocalsclapsguitar arrangements | Rock Believer (2022) |
| Jakob Himmelein | 2020–2021 | additional background vocalsclaps | Rock Believer (2022) |
| Alex Malek | 2020–2021 | additional background vocalsclaps | Rock Believer (2022) |
| Hans-Martin Buff | 2020–2021 | additional background vocalsclaps | Rock Believer (2022) |
| Pitti Hecht | 2020–2021 | percussion | Rock Believer (2022) |

## Lineups

| Period | Members | Releases |
| 1965 – 1967 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, vocals Wolfgang Dziony – drums, vocals Achim Kirchhoff – bass Karl-Heinz Vollmer – lead and rhythm guitars | none |
| 1967 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, vocals Wolfgang Dziony – drums, backing vocals Achim Kirchhoff – bass Karl-Heinz Vollmer – lead and rhythm guitars Werner Hoyer – vocals | none |
| 1967 – March 1968 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Wolfgang Dziony – drums, backing vocals Achim Kirchhoff – bass Ulrich Worobiec – lead and slide guitar Bernd Hegner – vocals | none |
| April 1968 – November 1969 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Wolfgang Dziony – drums, backing vocals Ulrich Worobiec – lead and slide guitar Bernd Hegner – vocals Lothar Heimberg – bass, backing vocals | none |
| December 1969 – May 1972 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Wolfgang Dziony – drums, backing vocals Lothar Heimberg – bass, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Michael Schenker – lead and slide guitar | Lonesome Crow (1972) |
| May – July 1972 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Lothar Heimberg – bass, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Michael Schenker – lead and slide guitar Werner Löhr – drums | none |
| July – October 1972, December 1972 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Lothar Heimberg – bass, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Michael Schenker – lead and slide guitar Wolfgang Dziony – drums, backing vocals | none |
| November – December 1972 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Lothar Heimberg – bass, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Michael Schenker – lead and slide guitar Joe Wyman – drums | none |
| January – April 1973 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Lothar Heimberg – bass, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Michael Schenker – lead and slide guitar Helmut Eisenhut – drums | none |
| May - June 1973 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals "Evi" – bass, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Michael Schenker – lead and slide guitar Helmut Eisenhut – drums | none |
| July 1973 – May 1974 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Francis Buchholz – bass Ulrich Roth – lead and slide guitar, vocals Jürgen Rosenthal – drums Achim Kirschning – keyboards, synthesizers (session and touring) | Fly to the Rainbow (1974) |
| June 1974 - January 1975 | Rudolf Schenker - rhythm guitar, backing vocals Klaus Meine - vocals Francis Buchholz - bass Ulrich Roth - lead and slide guitar, vocals Jurgen "Doobie" Fechter - drums | none |
| February 1975 – May 1977 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Francis Buchholz – bass Ulrich Roth – lead and slide guitar, vocals Rudy Lenners – drums Achim Kirschning – keyboards, synthesizers (session and touring) | In Trance (1975) Virgin Killer (1976) |
| May 1977 – April 1978 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Francis Buchholz – bass Ulrich Roth – lead and slide guitar, vocals Herman Rarebell – drums | Taken by Force (1977) Tokyo Tapes (1978) |
| August 1978 – December 1978 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm and slide guitar, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Francis Buchholz – bass Herman Rarebell – drums Matthias Jabs – lead guitar | Lovedrive (1979) |
| February 1979 – April 1979 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Francis Buchholz – bass Herman Rarebell – drums Michael Schenker – lead and slide guitar | Lovedrive (1979) |
| April 1979 – October 1992 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Francis Buchholz – bass, backing vocals Herman Rarebell – drums, backing vocals Matthias Jabs – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals | Animal Magnetism (1980) Blackout (1982) Love at First Sting (1984) World Wide Live (1985) Savage Amusement (1988) Crazy World (1990) Crazy World Tour Live... Berlin 1991 (1991) |
| November 1992 – January 1996 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Herman Rarebell – drums Matthias Jabs – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals Ralph Rieckermann – bass, backing vocals | Face the Heat (1993) Live Bites (1995) |
| January 1996 – August 1996 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Matthias Jabs – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals Ralph Rieckermann – bass, backing vocals Curt Cress – drums (session) | Pure Instinct (1996) |
| August 1996 – December 2003 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Matthias Jabs – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals Ralph Rieckermann – bass, backing vocals James Kottak – drums, backing vocals | Eye II Eye (1999) Moment of Glory (2000) Moment of Glory Live (2000) Acoustica (2001) Bad for Good (2002) – two new tracks |
| January 2004 – September 2016 | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Matthias Jabs – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals James Kottak – drums, backing vocals Paweł Mąciwoda – bass, backing vocals | Unbreakable (2004) Unbreakable: One Night in Vienna (2004) Humanity: Hour I (2007) Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 (2007) Amazonia: Live in the Jungle (2009) Sting in the Tail (2010) Live 2011: Get Your Sting & Blackout (2011) Comeblack (2011) MTV Unplugged in Athens (2013) Return to Forever (2015) Forever and a Day (2016) |
| September 2016 – present | Rudolf Schenker – rhythm, lead and slide guitars, backing vocals Klaus Meine – vocals Matthias Jabs – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals Paweł Mąciwoda – bass, backing vocals Mikkey Dee – drums | Born to Touch Your Feelings: Best of Rock Ballads (2017) – three new tracks Rock Believer (2022) |