Scott Raynor

Scott William Raynor Jr. (born May 23, 1978) is an American musician, best known as the original drummer of the rock band Blink-182.

Born in Poway, California, Raynor first approached the drums in his preteens as a fan of Metallica.

He joined Blink-182 at 14 years old and continued with the band; by the time he was 19, the group had accumulated a large fan base and a gold record, Dude Ranch.

DeLonge later met Mark Hoppus in August 1992 through friend Kerry Key and his girlfriend, Anne Hoppus.

"I thought they were hilarious when I met them. I mean, I didn't have a driver's license yet, so I gained a lot of agency through hanging with them and their group of friends," said Raynor.

The trio began to practice in Raynor's room (amid complaints from neighbors), which was soundproofed with empty egg cartons.

The trio spent time together constantly, attending punk shows and movies and playing practical jokes.

The trio first operated under a variety of names, including Duck Tape and Figure 8, until DeLonge rechristened the band "Blink".

Hoppus' girlfriend later led him to depart from the group for a time, but he returned when Raynor and DeLonge began recording a demo tape on a four track recorder with friend and collaborator Cam Jones.

The band soon became part of a circuit that also included the likes of Ten Foot Pole and Unwritten Law, and they found their way onto the bill as the opening band for local acts at SOMA, a local all-ages venue which they longed to headline.

"It's difficult to describe, in words, the nauseous mix of fear and excitement that would hit me when I first started seeing lines of people wanting to hear us play," said Raynor.

The three eventually were playing concerts at local venues such as SOMA, which alerted local independent record label Cargo Music.

Hoppus was the only member to sign the contract, as DeLonge was at work at the time and Raynor was still a minor.

The Cheshire Cat sessions were to be the last performance with the band for Raynor, whose family had moved to Reno, Nevada.

Raynor stayed with his sister for the summer of 1993 in order to rehearse for the recording of their debut album.

Raynor moved to Reno following the recording and was briefly replaced by school friend Mike Krull.

The band saved money and began flying Raynor out to shows, but eventually Raynor would move back to San Diego to live with Hoppus and his family.

His parents allowed him to drop out of full-time school to move back and play with the band, but he would continue to finish his diploma by bringing homework on tour.

"I think Mark and his sister Anne and I stayed up watching old TV shows until morning that whole summer," he recalled.

Raynor had planned from the earliest days of the band to one day attend college, as he said in a partially tongue-in-cheek remark in a 1994 interview: "I don't want to be 30 and still in a punk-rock band. That seems kind of scary to me."

By March 1996, the trio began to accumulate a genuine buzz among major labels, resulting in a bidding war between Interscope, MCA, and Epitaph.

MCA's persistence and sincerity won the band over, as well as their promise of complete artistic freedom.

The band began recording their sophomore effort Dude Ranch that winter.

The record hit stores the following summer and the band headed out on the Warped Tour, which Raynor described as "one of the most unequivocally positive experiences of my time with the band."

When lead single "Dammit" began rotation at Los Angeles-based KROQ, other stations took notice and the single was added to rock radio playlists across the country.

Desperate for a break due to extended touring, the overworked band began to argue and tensions formed, centering largely around Raynor.

His heavy use of alcohol caused tension in the trio, leading to a fight that in turn led to his firing from the band midway through a 1998 tour and subsequent replacement by Travis Barker.

Since his booting from the group, Raynor has performed with a wide variety of groups and contributed to the charity StandUp for Kids.

Raynor began playing drums at a young age, forming a group with friend Ryan Kennedy at age 11 to perform at a school competition – "a kind of 'show and tell' thing," Raynor later recalled.

The duo were initially inspired by Metallica, but found their material far too technical; they instead played "Twist of Cain" by Danzig and "London Dungeon" by the Misfits.

Raynor's first legitimate performance consisted of a cover of "Vlad the Impaler" by Gwar.

Raynor attended Rancho Bernardo High School (RBHS).

RBHS often arranged Battle of the Bands competitions, and Raynor participated: his band, The Necropheliacs, played a cover of Metallica's "Creeping Death".

While at the competition, new transfer student Tom DeLonge, who had been expelled from Poway High School for attending a basketball game while drunk, performed an original song titled "Who's Gonna Shave Your Back Tonight?"

to a packed auditorium.

Raynor was introduced to DeLonge at a party by Paul Scott, founding member of The Necropheliacs, shortly before he moved out of state.

The two found they had plenty in common, and DeLonge was searching for a more permanent band to create music with.

The two began writing songs at Raynor's parents' home – "a strange mix of metal and Descendents-style punk" – and tried out a variety of bass players, according to Raynor.

"The summer I lived with Mark and his family was probably the greatest summer of my life so far," said Raynor in 2001.

"I left home at 17, came to San Diego, we bought a van, finished our first video… I had all kinds of dreams in my head and they were all coming true."