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YouTubeEarly Life and Musical Beginnings
Michael Shrieve’s story reads like a rock-and-roll fairy tale — the kind of musical journey that blends youthful serendipity with restless creativity, and a lifelong appetite for pushing boundaries. Before he was a name on Santana’s classic albums or a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, he was a kid with sticks and big dreams.
Born in in Redwood City, California, Shrieve grew up deeply drawn to music. As a teenager he played in his first serious band, Glass Menagerie, and gigged around backing rhythm and blues acts — even sitting in with seasoned performers like B.B. King and Etta James before he was out of his teens.
A Teenage Prodigy Finds His Break
At just 16, a pivotal moment came when he sat in during a jam at San Francisco’s famed Fillmore Auditorium. His playing caught someone’s ear — Santana’s manager Stan Marcum — setting the stage for his astonishing ascent.
Joining Santana and a Life-Changing Opportunity
A year later, at age 19, Shrieve met Carlos Santana in a studio and was invited to join the band on the spot. It was a leap that would change his life forever.
With Santana: Woodstock and World-Changing Rhythm
Almost immediately after joining, Shrieve found himself at the centre of one of rock’s defining moments: Santana’s performance at Woodstock in August 1969. Barely 20 years old, he was the youngest performer at the festival, and his explosive drum solo on “Soul Sacrifice” became one of the enduring visual and sonic highlights of the festival.
Shaping Santana’s Classic Sound
Between ’69 and ’74, Shrieve played on Santana’s first seven albums. He wasn’t just a timekeeper. On Caravanserai he co-produced and co-wrote four tracks. His work helped broaden the possibilities of rock percussion, drawing on influences from jazz greats and Latin rhythms alike.
Leaving Santana and Seeking New Creative Paths
By the mid-’70s, Shrieve was ready to expand his musical palette beyond Santana. He left the band to pursue solo projects . One of his first ventures was Automatic Man, blending rock with progressive and funk elements. Though it didn’t become a major commercial success, it did showcase Shrieve’s appetite for pushing boundaries.
Automatic Man, Go and Fusion Exploration
He then joined the avant-garde fusion supergroup Go, alongside musicians like Steve Winwood, Stomu Yamashta, Klaus Schulze and Al Di Meola. The band released multiple albums and toured. Throughout the late ’70s and ’80s Shrieve stayed busy, playing with Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve (with Neal Schon and Sammy Hagar) and contributing to albums by artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones (Emotional Rescue, 1980) and Roger Hodgson of Supertramp.
High-Profile Collaborations and Session Work
After leaving Santana, Shrieve didn’t slow down — he reinvented himself again and again. Beyond rock and fusion bands, he became a composer and session player whose credits include work with Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Pete Townshend, Andy Summers, Jaco Pastorius and many others.
Reunions, Abraxas Pool and Santana IV
In 1997 he reunited with former Santana members — Neal Schon, Gregg Rolie, José Areas and Michael Carabello — in Abraxas Pool, a project that revisited and re-imagined elements of the classic Santana sound.
Recognition, Awards and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Shrieve’s contributions were formally recognized when he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 for his work with Santana, and later honored with Guitar Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. He’s also been cited by Rolling Stone as one of rock’s greatest drummers. In 2016, he reunited with the original Santana lineup for the album Santana IV.
Life Beyond Santana and Ongoing Creativity
Today, Shrieve leads his band Spellbinder, blending jazz and improvisatory rock; works on ambitious solo projects like Drums of Compassion; and continues to collaborate with forward-thinking musicians across genres.
