I recall seeing Jethro Tull live in concert some years ago. When Ian Anderson introduced the drummer the crowd went crazy. And rightly so, he was brilliant.

There are some obvious second-fiddle band members who are well known. Slash from Guns and Roses, and many more.

I was watching this Tom Petty clip and the backing vocalist was someone I have never heard of, but what a musician. Keyboard, guitar, harmonica, and the best Roy Orbison voice imaginable.

Please introduce your favorite second fiddle musicians.

I dont know if this quite fits. I saw David Bowie once and Peter Framptom had joined his band...........

I dont know if this quite fits. I saw David Bowie once and Peter Framptom had joined his band...........

You are kidding me, Peter Frampton playing second fiddle to David Bowie. Brilliant.

https://youtu.be/BJii3ACoqDc

Pick Withers on drums ..... I know him from Dire Straits but some pro musicians that I knew would listen to those recordings expressly to hear his tight drumming.....

Also the bald guy on conga drums that plays for all the big brit rock performers.....

Chris Slade.

Drummer for ACDC after Phil Rudd.

Another excellent musician. Originally from Uria Heep, Manfred Manns Earth Band, Asia, David Gilmour...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Slade

Framton credited him with saving his career.....I saw tge show in the eighties in San Jose Ca......

The band Toto was pretty much made up of second fiddelers. Studio muscians with a helluva pedigree.....

Paul Simon overshadowed by Art Garfunkel

Made my day

Who could forget Toto?

Weren't The Buggles and Asia made from the same genre?

Who can remember the Deep Purple, Rainbow, Ritchie Blackmore, Black Sabbath mix?

Crosby Stills Nash, and then Young,although not really a second fiddle

By the by - second fiddle is not that easy to play.....

I played #2 desk position violin in the first position - lead violinists.....always felt the first position was easier to play......

The 2nd position requires a strong 1st desk position violinist....

Jools Holland with The The playing Uncertain Smile.... beautiful track and an amazing piano solo from Jools.

Edited January 3, 201610 yr by lemonjelly

The back up singer/musician on the Tom Petty clip is Scott Thurston, a long time cohort of Jackson Browne, and now a member of The Heartbreakers.

Thurston is a 5 star singer, multi-talented musician, and songwriter.

Kudos to Sipi for taking notice of him.

Edited January 3, 201610 yr by curtklay

Warren Ellis plays violin / guitar among other things for Nick Cave.

Cave himself admits that he is constantly upstaged by Ellis.