Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez is an American drummer, best known as the original drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.



Vini Lopez has been involved in the music field for over forty years. He first played a valve bugle in a drum corp., not drums as one would expect. When Vini met Buzzy Lubinsky, who played drums along with records, Vini became hooked. Buzzy helped him with the drums and within a year, Vini joined Sonny And The Starfires.



Vini Lopez started drumming with Bruce Springsteen in 1969, playing in the bands Child, Steel Mill, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom, and The Bruce Springsteen Band, before what would become known as The E Street Band came together in 1972.



Vini Lopez played drums on Springsteen's first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., and The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle. He then left the band in 1974 after being asked to resign.

However, Vini's music career did not stop there.



In recent years, Vini Lopez and his new band Steel Mill Retro have performed songs originally written by Springsteen for the original Steel Mill. Steel Mill Retro has released a cd with some of the early never recorded songs written by Bruce Springsteen.



Along with fellow New Jersey shore musicians John Luraschi, Ricky DeSarno, and Bill Kacerek, Vini started working on a second release.



The drummer has recently written a memoir concerning his time with Springsteen and the E Street Band.



He joined Springsteen on stage at Giants Stadium in 2003, guest drumming on Spirit in the Night.