David Ellefson

David Ellefson
Ellefson playing at the Illinois State Fair in 2019
Ellefson playing at the Illinois State Fair in 2019
Background information
Birth nameDavid Warren Ellefson
Born (1964-11-12) November 12, 1964 (age 60)
Jackson, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
OccupationBassist
Years active1982–present
Member of
Formerly of
Websitedavidellefson.com

David Warren Ellefson (born November 12, 1964) is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist and backing vocalist for thrash metal band Megadeth across two stints.

Ellefson initially became an accomplished bassist and honed his songwriting skills while leading several of his own bands through the club scene of North America's Midwest region before relocating to Los Angeles. He was then the bassist of Megadeth from 1983 to their breakup in 2002, and again from 2010 to 2021.

Ellefson co-founded the hard rock band the Lucid in 2021 alongside vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge), guitarist Drew Fortier (formerly of Bang Tango), and drummer Mike Heller (Fear Factory, Malignancy, Raven). In addition to playing bass guitar in Megadeth and the Lucid, Ellefson had various side projects, which include Temple of Brutality, F5, Killing Machine, and Metal Allegiance.