He is also known for his work with ex-Motörhead guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke's Fastway, Joey Molland from Badfinger, Alexis Korner, Billy Nicholls, Syd Barrett, John Entwistle, Sammy Hagar and Benny Mardones.

[1] Shirley was born in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, and began playing drums for the band Apostolic Intervention at an early age.

[4] After leaving Fastway, Shirley joined the line-up of Waysted and reformed Humble Pie in the United States, with Charlie Huhn as vocalist.

[5] In 1997, he was fired by WNCX and pleaded guilty to drug abuse after money went missing in a charity drive called “30 Days in the Hole.”[6] Shirley returned to the UK in 1999.

On the debut LP The Madcap Laughs he played with David Gilmour and Roger Waters, as well as Soft Machine members Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt.