Mike Portnoy is the second youngest person (after Neil Peart of Rush) to be inducted into the Modern Drummer's Hall of Fame at 37 years of age.

Mike Portnoy (born Michael Stephen Portnoy) is a founding member and drummer of Dream Theater, and he is a founding member, together with Neal Morse ( Spock's Beard's former member), of Transatlantic. Mike Portnoy also works and collaborates with several others artists and bands, among others, with Liquid Tension Experiment, Neal Morse solo project, OSI and John Arch.

In 2011 he left Dream Theatre, he announced with a press release that he's quitting his adventure in the group. Dream Theatre announced that they will carry on without Mike. Both parties declare their sadness after this decision; it seems that Mike didn't enjoy anymore staying in the band, as opposed to the positive feelings his recent projects Hail!, Transatlantic, Avenged Sevenfold gave to him.