Tom Simpson

Simpson began to play the keyboard in his late 20s, and in 2006, began taking classical piano lessons at the insistence of a friend. He has stated that during the years he spent touring with Snow Patrol, he became a musician, despite never having intended to do so. He became a permanent member of Snow Patrol when bassist Paul Wilson was recruited into the band, after founder Mark McClelland was fired. During live performances, Simpson was responsible for playing piano, keyboards, and applying mixing effects/tracks. On 15 August 2013, during a show in Belfast, Gary Lightbody announced that Simpson had decided to quit the band and that this would be his final show with Snow Patrol. After his departure, touring member Johnny McDaid took over keyboard duties for the band.

Simpson was accused of possessing Class A drugs in Glasgow in June 2006. He was arrested on 7 July 2007 in RAF Northolt, Middlesex, which put the band's headlining set the next day (at T in the Park) in jeopardy. He was held at London's Heathrow Airport, mere hours after the band played at Live Earth, which made him miss the Oxegen 2007 performance that night. The band had started searching for a replacement for Simpson, who however, was released in time to play at T in the Park. All charges against him and a friend were later dropped.

Tom Simpson (born 7 January 1972) is a Scottish DJ and musician, best known as the former keyboardist of the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. Having been with Snow Patrol as a touring member since 1996, he became a permanent one in 2005. In August 2013, he quit the band, citing his desire to do his own thing.