Philip "Spike" Edney (born 11 December 1951) is an English musician who has performed with a number of bands since the 1970s, most notably with Queen in their live concerts since 1984.
Career
Queen
Edney's association with Queen began in 1984 during The Works tour, replacing Fred Mandel. Edney's collaboration with Queen included mostly keyboards (his main instrument), plus rhythm guitar and backing vocals. After the death of Queen's lead singer and main pianist Freddie Mercury in 1991, Edney took over his role on piano during the Queen + Paul Rodgers 2005, 2006, and 2008 tours, playing all piano parts on a Korg Triton keyboard,[1] in addition to all other keyboard parts.[2] He returned as keyboardist for the Queen + Adam Lambert tours in 2012, 2014, and the 2015–2020 tour schedule. He has also been the keyboardist for the London production of We Will Rock You since it opened in 2002.[3]
Edney was also the musical director of the official Queen tribute band, the Queen Extravaganza.
Edney can be seen on Queen's Live at Wembley Stadium and Hungarian Rhapsody concert films, playing rhythm guitar on "Hammer to Fall," and piano on both "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Tutti Frutti." He can also be seen playing in the background during Queen's 1985 Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium. He would later comment that once Queen got on stage, the "lazy afternoon feeling..." "...changed instantly into a proper gig".[4]
During tours with Queen in the mid 1980s, Edney played a Gibson Les Paul Junior as his main guitar for the rhythm parts of "Hammer to Fall".[7] During the Queen + Paul Rogers tours he used a Korg Triton, and during the Queen + Adam Lambert tours he used a Korg M3 before settling for a Korg Kronos.[1]
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