Michael Schenker, a German rock guitarist and composer, was born on 10 January 1955 in Sarstedt. He began playing guitar early and first gained attention in the early 1970s with the Scorpions. In the mid‑1970s he joined UFO, contributing significantly to their rise and recording the studio albums Phenomenon (1974), Force It (1975), No Heavy Petting (1976), Lights Out (1977), and Obsession (1978). With UFO he helped shape their sound and contributed to many compositions, including the songs “Doctor Doctor” and “Rock Bottom.” He left UFO after their 29 October 1978 show, and the live album Strangers in the Night was released in 1979. He briefly rejoined the Scorpions for the album Lovedrive (1979), contributing lead guitar, and soon after founded the Michael Schenker Group (MSG), releasing their self‑titled debut album in 1980.
