He recorded his first album at 15 and wrote two of UFO's best-known songs just a few years later.
Michael Schenker turned 71 on Jan. 10, celebrating another birthday after more than five decades of influential guitar work. Best known for his time with Scorpions, UFO and the Michael Schenker Group, the German musician was also a member of the short-lived supergroup Contraband.
Schenker was born in Sarstedt, Germany, in 1955. He and his older brother, Scorpions founder Rudolf Schenker, began playing guitar around the same time, when Michael was only 9. By 14, he was performing in Copernicus alongside future Scorpions singer Klaus Meine.
The young guitarist joined Scorpions for the group's debut album, Lonesome Crow, which was recorded when he was 15 and released in 1972. Soon afterward, Schenker joined UFO while still a teenager and became a major part of the British group's rise.
His work can be heard across albums including Phenomenon, Lights Out and Obsession. Schenker wrote the music for "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom" at 17, establishing the melodic playing style that would become central to UFO's sound. His black-and-white Flying V also became one of rock's most recognizable guitars.
After leaving UFO in 1978, Schenker briefly returned to Scorpions for Lovedrive before forming the Michael Schenker Group. MSG released its self-titled debut in 1980, beginning a long-running project that allowed the guitarist to remain at the center of his own music.
His résumé later expanded with Contraband, a supergroup featuring L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns, Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer, Vixen bassist Share Pedersen and Shark Island singer Richard Black. The group released its only album in 1991.
Schenker remains active today. MSG released Don't Sell Your Soul in October 2025, followed by more tour dates throughout 2026. The guitarist explained his approach in a recent Guitar World interview.
"I've always believed in doing exactly what I feel like," Schenker said. "That's freedom of expression."
At 71, that independence continues to guide the guitarist whose playing helped shape hard rock long before he reached adulthood.
Related: '70s Rock Legend and Member of Iconic Rock Band Turns 80
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