Background and career
Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou (born 31 October 1963), known professionally as Mikkey Dee, is a Swedish musician, who has played drums for German heavy metal band Scorpions since 2016 and with Lex Legion since 2026. He was the drummer for English heavy metal band Motörhead from 1992 until 2015, and has played with other artists including King Diamond, Helloween and Don Dokken. Dee is known for his lengthy drum solos, which can last between five and fifteen minutes.
Dee was born in Gothenburg, Sweden to a Greek father and a Swedish mother. He began his musical career with local bands Nadir and Geisha. His main influences include Neil Peart, Brian Downey, Buddy Rich, Steve Smith and especially Ian Paice.
Having moved to Copenhagen, Denmark to play with Geisha, Dee joined King Diamond in 1985. He played on the King Diamond recordings Fatal Portrait (1986), Abigail (1987) and Them (1988). King Diamond himself was becoming quite popular and the musicians backing him were taking a secondary role in the writing and decision making. After the completion of the supporting tour for Them, he decided to leave the band as he felt that he was becoming more of a backup musician rather than an equal contributing songwriter. However, he was rehired to play session drums for the recording of the band's follow-up album, Conspiracy (1989). After completion of the album, he was replaced by Snowy Shaw.
Dee joined Don Dokken for his solo album Up from the Ashes (1990). The music videos for the songs "Stay" and "Mirror Mirror" received airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball. The band headlined their own tour as well as opening for Judas Priest. During this time, he filled in temporarily for the band World War Three (WWIII).
While King Diamond was touring with Motörhead, frontman Lemmy repeatedly asked Dee to join his band. In 1992, Dee accepted, replacing Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor.
On his replacement of a longstanding member, Dee said in 2006:"Phil Taylor was great when he was good... so I could never have filled that space. It's like when you get married and have kids; no one can take my father's place… I could never be Phil Taylor, so I had to introduce Mikkey Dee into Motörhead." Dee's first gig with the band was on 30 August 1992 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York. He did not have much input on that year's March ör Die album which had been recorded with Tommy Aldridge prior to Dee joining. Dee played on the band's albums Hellraiser and Hell on Earth – the soundtrack for Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Although Aldridge recorded most of the drum tracks, Dee's photo appeared on the rear album sleeve. Aldridge said that Dee could take credit for the playing but Dee declined, citing differing styles.
