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Bonham was born at Redditch, Worcestershire. He first learned how to play drums at the age of five, making a drum kit out of containers and coffee tins, and copying the moves of his idols Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. He received his first proper drum kit at the age of fifteen, a Premier.
After leaving Wilton House public school, he worked for his father Jack Bonham in the construction industry in between drumming for bands. In 1964, Bonham joined his first band, Terry Webb and the Spiders, meeting his future wife Pat Phillips at a dance in Kidderminster. He also drummed for local Birmingham bands such as The Blue Star Trio and The Senators who released a moderately successful single "She's a Mod". Bonham enjoyed the experience and decided to take up drumming full-time. Two years later, he joined A Way of Life however the band became inactive and in desperation for a regular income, joined blues group Crawling King Snakes whose lead singer was a young Robert Plant. During this period, Bonham developed a reputation of being the loudest drummer in England, often breaking drumheads and being asked by clubs to stop playing. By 1967, A Way of Life asked Bonham to return to their group, during this period Plant kept in constant contact with Bonham and when he decided to form Band of Joy, Bonham was first choice for the drum stool. The band recorded a number of demos but no album. In 1968 American singer Tim Rose toured Britain and invited Band of Joy to open his concerts. When Tim Rose returned for another tour months later, Bonham was formally invited by the singer to drum for his band which gave him a regular income. Both singers Joe Cocker and Chris Farlowe had also sought out Bonham for their touring bands.
When Jimmy Page wanted to start a band in the wake of The Yardbirds break-up, His first choice for singer was Terry Reid, however Reid had already signed with Mickie Most for a solo career. Reid suggested Robert Plant, who in turn suggested Bonham, who had already drummed with Plant and knew Page from session work. Page?s choice for drummer included Procol Harum?s B.J. Wilson, session drummers Clem Cattini and Aynsley Dunbar. Ginger Baker was also rumoured to be on Page's list. After seeing Bonham drum for Tim Rose in Hampstead, north London, in July 1968, Page and Peter Grant were convinced to sign up Bonham.
During Led Zeppelin?s first tour of the United States in December 1968, he became friends with Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice who introduced him to Ludwig drums, which he then used for the rest of his career. Bonham used the longest and heaviest sticks available, which he referred to as "trees". His initial hard hitting style was displayed to great effect on "Immigrant Song" (Led Zeppelin III), "When the Levee Breaks" (Four Symbols), and "The Ocean" (Houses of the Holy). He is credited by the group for thinking up the riff in ?Kashmir? as well as the riff to "Out On the Tiles". On later albums, Bonham rather adeptly handled funk and Latin influenced drumming on several cuts. While not as loose and unhinged as Keith Moon, nor as critically respected as Ginger Baker, his sheer power behind the drum kit has influenced nearly every hard rock and heavy metal drummer since. Bonham?s signature style was a steady rhythmic beat that swung and his use of phasing cymbals. His drum solos, first "Pat's Delight" then later "Moby Dick", would often last for half-an-hour and regularly featured his use of bare hands to achieve different sound effects. Rap artists such as the Beastie Boys would heavily sample his drumming.
In 1974, Bonham appeared in the film Son of Dracula, playing drums in Count Downe's (Harry Nilsson) backing band. Most fans agree that Bonham's action sequence for the film The Song Remains the Same was the best out of all four musicians. It featured him in a drag race at Santa Pod speedway in California to the sound of his signature drum solo, "Moby Dick". During his time with Led Zeppelin, Bonham was also an avid collector of antique sports cars and motorcycles, which he kept on his family's farm called The Old Hyde.
As well as recording with Led Zeppelin, Bonham also found time to session with other artists. In 1970, Bonham drummed for Screaming Lord Sutch on his album Lord Sutch and Heavy Friends. Bonham also drummed for his Birmingham friend, Roy Wood, on the 1979 Wizzard album, On the Road Again. Then for Wings on their Back to the Egg Rockestra project.
Bonham both disliked being away from his home and family for long periods and also flying. This led him to use alcohol to work off his nerves. On September 24, 1980, Bonham was picked up by Led Zeppelin assistant Rex King from The Old Hyde hotel to be at rehearsals at Bray Studios for the upcoming tour of the United States, the bands first since 1977. During the journey Bonham had downed four quadruple vodkas before continuing drinking at the studio. A halt was called to the rehearsals late in the evening and the band retired to Page's house in Windsor . After midnight, Bonham had fallen asleep and was taken to bed on his side. Tour manager Benji LeFevre found him dead the next morning. Despite the sensationalist press which indulged themselves, a subsequent coroners inquest found no drugs in Bonham?s body. His death was a tragic accident. John Bonham was buried on October 10, 1980 at Rushock parish churchyard, near The Old Hyde farm.
Rumours quickly abound that Cozy Powell, Carmine Appice, Simon Kirke, Bev Bevan or B.P. Fallon would join the group as his replacement but Bonham's passing has been the single biggest factor in why Led Zeppelin has never successfully reformed. His influence in the band?s sound was unique.
Bonham?s young sister, Debbie Bonham, is a singer. His younger brother, Mick Bonham (died 2000), was a disc jockey and respected photographer. John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham (born 1966), also became a rock drummer. Bonham?s daughter, Zoe Bonham, appears regularly at Led Zeppelin conventions and awards.
Neil Peart (pronounced "Peert" not "Pert"), born September 12, 1952, near Hagersville, Ontario, is the drummer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band Rush. Rush is the most successful band from Canada, having played together for over 30 years, and selling over 24.5 million records (U.S.). Over the years, Rush has developed their own style of Progressive Rock, weaving together heavy metal, art rock, reggae, new wave, pop, grunge, and classical styles with thoughtful lyrics. The result has been 23 diverse albums, successful tours, and a loyal fan base.
Peart is known for his creative and intricate drum parts and extensive drum solos that delight both drummers and non-drummers alike. He's won many reader's poll awards from Modern Drummer, including 12 consecutive "best recorded performance" awards. In 1996, Peart became an Officer of The Order of Canada, the highest civilian decoration in Canada.
In 1996, following the death of his only daughter, Selena, and then his wife of 22 years Jackie Taylor, Peart and Rush took a five-year hiatus. After he re-married in September 2000, Neil returned to Rush, and the band produced the critically-acclaimed Vapor Trails CD and subsequent tour, taking them to Mexico and South America for the first time. The final show in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, became the multi-platinum DVD Rush in Rio. Rush toured again in 2004 as part of their 30th Anniversary celebration, and released a CD of Sixties cover songs, Feedback, to mark the occasion. After the tour, they released Rush - R30 - 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, a live concert from Frankfurt Germany.
On May 1, 2007, Rush will release their twenty-third album Snakes & Arrows. The album will also release on a new MVI DVD format on June 5, 2007, which includes a 5.1 mix of the 13 songs and a video documentary.
In his spare time, Peart rides BMW motorcycles, drives fast cars, snowshoes, bird watches, and hikes. His favorite drink after a concert or a long day on the road is The Macallan.
Peart currently lives in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Carrie Nuttall.
Peart's nicknames are "Pratt" and "The Professor."
Tell me who your favorite drummers are and I will make an expansive blog entry about the winning drummer. Voting ends on January 1st, so hurry up and get your votes in!
To vote just comment on the post with the name(s) of your favorite drummer(s)
Dave Weckl is one of the most respected and talked about drummers on the scene today, and he is by far my favorite drummer. For almost 20 years he has maintained a reputation amongst his fans and peers as one of the very finest musicians in contemporary music.
Born in St. Louis Missouri, January 8th, 1960, to a mother who loved music and a father who played the piano as a hobby, Dave started playing drums around the age of 8. During his high school years he received many awards from the NAJE (National Association of Jazz Educators) for his outstanding performances in his high school's competition winning jazz band, and was involved with numerous local groups from a very early age while studying with St. Louis area teachers Bob Matheny and then Joe Buerger*. At age 16 he began to work professionally with local pop and jazz groups. As he turned 19, he moved to the east coast in 1979 to study music at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. While playing the club scene in New York City with a band called Nite Sprite, Dave started to receive accolades from established studio musicians such as Steve Kahn, Michael Brecker, and especially the great drummer Peter Erskine. It was Peter who recommended Dave for his first 'big gig' in town with a group called French Toast, forerunner to the Michel Camillo band, which has been recorded quite extensively over the years. From this group bassist Anthony Jackson recommended Dave for the prestigious Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour in 1983. After this tour it was not long before he was regularly being called for radio and TV jingles, sound track sessions, and top recording dates with such artists as George Benson, Peabo Bryson, Diana Ross and Robert Plant, to name a few.
In 1985 Michael Brecker told Chick Corea to check out this new young guy in town, Dave Weckl, for his new 'Elektric Band'. That was the beginning of a 7 year relationship with both the 'Elektric' and 'Akoustic' Bands, where 9 recordings and 3 videos were produced, and the 'Akoustic Band' winning a Grammy for the band's first release. It was also the Elektric Band's first recording where Dave's spectacular drumming and innovative use of combining electric and acoustic drums really brought him world wide recognition.
Dave has since gone on to produce six of his own recordings to date; 'Masterplan', 'Heads Up', and 'Hardwired', available on GRP/MCA records, and most recently with the Dave Weckl Band, 'Transition', 'Ryhthm Of The Soul', and 'Synergy' on Stretch/Concord Records. His own band has kept him very busy as of the last few years, but when off the road he keeps busy with session work and record dates in the Los Angeles area, as well as appearing occasionally with Lee Ritenour, Marco Mendoza, Brandon Fields group, Alan Pasqua and others.
Besides his busy playing career, Dave is also very involved with the teaching aspect of the music business, conducting many seminars and classes all over the world. He says " It is my goal to inspire as many young (and not so young) people as possible to want to play music, whether it be drums or another instrument. With all the problems of the world today, I feel this is my way of contributing a positive action towards spiritual happiness, which music can be a big part of, if you let it. So parents, if your child has a talent for music, please allow them the opportunity to develop that talent!"
When Tommy Rockwell produced Gene Krupa’s first record in 1927, Krupa was the first drummer to make a record with a bass drum as part of their set. Rockwell was skeptical of the drummer, but let him record with the bass drum anyway. He was pleasantly surprised by the sound Krupa was producing with the bass drum and a foot pedal. For this, Gene Krupa will always be known as one of the greatest innovators behind the modern drum set. Seven years later, a more experienced Krupa was playing with Benny Goodman, his explosive, energetic playing style attracting the attention of all those who saw him live. For this, Krupa was known as “The Chicago Flash” throughout his career. Even though Gene Krupa died in 1973 of a heart attack, his legacy will live on forever.6
Gene was born Eugene Bertram Krupa in Chicago, Illinois, on January 15, 1909. He was the youngest of Bartley and Ann Krupa’s nine children. Since his father died when he was young, Gene had to start working at age eleven to help support his family. Along with his older brother Pete, Gene worked chores at a music store. As a kid, he wasn’t particularly opinionated about instruments, and would’ve been just as happy learning piano or trombone as drums. However, a drum set was the cheapest instrument at the store where he worked. Gene’s first drum set was a simple one consisting of a bass drum, a cymbal, a wood block and a snare drum.4
Since Gene’s parents were extremely religious, they hoped for him to become a priest. Most of his early education was at parochial schools. After that, Krupa attended St. Joseph’s college for a short time. However, he was so interested in drumming, that he gave up hope of becoming a priest. Gene started his drum studies under the instruction of Ed Straight, Al Silverman, and Roy Knapp. He played in bands with friends throughout his younger years. Gene’s started his career as a drummer in the 1920s, playing with those such as Joe Kayser, Thelma Terry and the Benson Orchestra. At this time, Krupa would go to popular spots in Chicago and jam with other musicians, one of which was Benny Goodman.4
During Krupa’s early years of drumming, he was most influenced by Warren “Baby” Dodds. Dodds was famous for his press rolls, and his influence on Krupa became evident through Krupa’s frequent use of press rolls in his playing. In addition, Dodds would often take short solos while playing jazz songs. Before this time, drummers only served the purpose of keeping time in songs.4 This was perhaps the most important part of Dodds’ influence on Gene Krupa, because Krupa started to implement extended drum solos into his playing. For this reason, he changed the face of jazz drumming. After that, many famous jazz songs started to include long drum solos.
A famous incident occurred in December of 1927 at the Okeh Records studio. Gene Krupa was setting up his drum set, preparing to record with a band led by banjo player Eddie Condon. In the past, recording studios had only tracked snare drums and cymbals. When the producer, Tommy Rockwell, saw Gene’s full kit set up, he was angry, believing that Krupa’s bass drum and tom-toms might destroy their sensitive recording equipment.5 However, Rockwell let Krupa record with his full drum set anyway. Later that day, listening to the playback in the studio, Rockwell was astonished at how good Gene Krupa’s drum set sounded altogether. This event caused the bass drum to be accepted as a crucial part of the modern drum set.1
During his drumming years, Krupa worked with Slingerland drums to create the first tunable tom-toms. This caught on quickly, and soon most drums could be tuned to a specific pitch, instead of having drum heads glued on as they were before. Also, Gene Krupa was asked by Avedis Zildjian to help develop the modern hi-hat cymbals. The first hi-hat design was called a low-boy, which kept the cymbals too close to the ground to be played with a drum stick. These were both important innovations in drumming that Krupa helped design.4
Gene Krupa started studying with Sanford Moeller, who taught him advanced technique. This further improved Krupa’s style, which was already extremely modern and progressive for his time. In 1929, Krupa moved to New York. He played in the pit for multiple plays and musicals, alongside Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. An interesting fact to note about Gene Krupa is that he never learned how to read music. Throughout his time playing for live performances, Krupa was helped by Glenn Miller, who would hum the drum parts for Gene until he could learn them. 4
“The Chicago Flash” first played with Benny Goodman’s band in 1933, but didn’t join the Benny Goodman Band until a year later. Goodman had promised Krupa that his would be a successful jazz band, but the band became discouraged, and surrendered to playing dance music at events. At one such venue, the members of the band decided to take a risk and play their own arrangements. The crowd reacted wildly, and the Benny Goodman’s band took off.1
The most famous performance by the Benny Goodman Band was on January 16, 1938 at Carnegie Hall. Before then, no popular jazz acts had performed at the prestigious concert hall, which previously only featured classical music. This concert was a great success for both Benny Goodman’s band and jazz music itself. Tickets to the performance sold out weeks before the show, and the crowd exploded after each song. However, the concert led to an argument between Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman. Krupa had played numerous drum fills throughout the show that stole the audience’s attention. As a result, Goodman was angry that the spotlight was on Krupa more than it was on him. He didn’t want a sideman in his band to steal attention away from himself. This led to Krupa leaving the band on March 3, 1938.2
Gene Krupa’s playing style changed drastically from his early records to his later ones. One of his first recorded songs was “Nobody’s Sweetheart” with Eddie Condon. Instead of riding on a cymbal during the song, Krupa creates an interesting, and more powerful effect by playing a beat using the rims of his drums. To accent throughout the song, Gene plays a short fill on his snare drum and tom-toms. Finally, near the end of the song, he plays the snare drum on beats two and four, a la modern rock drumming.12
Another song Krupa played with Eddie Condon’s band is “China Boy.” In this upbeat song, Gene Krupa’s playing is quick, yet sparse. He stops playing entirely during the piano solo, which leaves the listener with a feeling of emptiness. However, by starting his playing again after the solo, Krupa fills in the empty space again with his drum beat, which includes crisp rim clicks on the snare drum. His articulate playing contributes to the fast feel of the song.7
In the middle part of Gene Krupa’s career, he was playing with Benny Goodman’s band. His performance on “Don’t Be That Way” during the Carnegie Hall concert is outstanding. For most of the recording, Krupa keeps time on the ride cymbal, not playing anything exciting. However, a few times during the song, he surprises his listeners with a lightning-fast drum solo (perhaps for which he got his nickname). Krupa’s playing in this song is representative of his influence on jazz music, because he was one of the primary drummers to incorporate solos and drum fills into his playing, which had a permanent effect on the role of jazz drummers, who used to be strictly timekeepers, and now had a role during solo sections, too.8
Undoubtedly the most famous of Benny Goodman’s songs is “Sing, Sing, Sing.” In this song, Gene Krupa truly shines. He begins the song with a classic fill on his floor tom, and then the horns join in. The horns pause for Krupa to play a four-measure solo, before Harry James takes a drum solo. After that, Benny Goodman himself solos. Following Goodman’s solo, Krupa plays a sparse fill on his tom-toms, and then plays his cowbell to signal the entire band into the outro of the song. At this point, Krupa is on fire, playing a fast roll on the snare drum until the last note of the song.11
In Krupa’s later years, after leaving Benny Goodman, he started his own group, the Gene Krupa Big Band. One popular song was “Drummin’ Man.” In this song, representative of Krupa’s later drumming; his style has matured into what most drummers think of when they picture jazz drumming today. Gene starts the song with a swing beat on the hi-hat, and plays quick fills on the snare drum at the end of each section. He later changes to the ride, and then takes a drum solo. His solo, featuring advanced technique, such as rolls and rudiments, on both the snare drum and the tom-toms, is a classic example of the jazz drum solo, as “invented” by Gene Krupa.9
“Big Noise from Winnetka” is a famous song by the Gene Krupa Quartet. Gene starts off with a basic swing pattern on the ride cymbal, but he soon transitions into an extended drum solo, showing his technical prowess behind the drum set. The bass player then starts to take a solo, while Gene stands up and walks away from the drum set. He then starts playing the bass’s strings with his drum sticks, while the bass player continues to hold the frets. This is just one of many examples of how creative Gene Krupa’s drumming is.10
In 1943, Gene Krupa’s career started to take a turn for the worse. In San Francisco, he was caught with the possession of marijuana, also charged for contributing to a minor’s delinquency. He was sentenced 90 days in prison, but only served 84, and was cleared of the latter charge. During this time, Roy Eldridge led Krupa’s band, but eventually it broke apart. After being released from jail, Gene played shortly with Tommy Dorsey and Benny Goodman, and then re-formed his own band.3 At the time, the age of big bands was coming to an end, so Gene decreased the size of his band, which stayed together until 1951. Krupa then started working with a few small bands, but he wasn’t sure which direction he wanted to go. His career started to slow.
In the late 1950s, Gene Krupa started to have greater back problems, which led to him playing less often. In 1960, he had a heart attack, and had to take many months off. He reunited with the Goodman Quartet and played throughout the early and mid 1960s. By this time, Krupa’s playing lost the speed and excitement it used to have. His health became a problem again, and his second marriage broke apart, which led to him officially retiring in 1967. On October 16, 1973, Krupa died of a heart attack.
Gene Krupa led a wonderful lifetime and career. He will always be remembered as one of the biggest innovators in drumming, who revolutionized the drum set by making the bass drum and tom-toms a popular part of any kit. In addition, he helped create tunable tom-toms and modern hi-hat cymbals, both still a part of drums today. More than just in equipment, Gene was revolutionary for popularizing the extended drum solo in jazz music, making drums a solo instrument that had a much greater role. Even though his career took a turn for the worse in his later years, Krupa will be remembered for the wonderful things he did, not his ailments and downfall. Gene Krupa will never be forgotten as one of the greatest drummers of all time.
“Max, hands down, is one of the greatest soloists of all time…Max plays musical lines with dynamics and space. What he doesn’t play is just as important as what he does play.” ~ Kenny Washington, drummer. Max Roach was a unique drummer and is considered a very important figure for jazz drummers. He played many different kinds of music and had the opportunity to play with numerous famous jazz artists such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Clifford Brown. He was one of the first drummers to be introduced to the bebop on Fifty-second Street and Harlem. He was born in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, on January 10th, 1924. His family moved to New York when he was four and he picked up the bugle. When he turned 12, he was given his first drum set. He started touring with some big name jazz groups after he graduated from high school. He created his own quartet in 1954, which was lead by Clifford Brown along with Sonny Rollins, Richie Powell, and George Morrow. There were many composers and arrangers who helped the quartet write music, but Roach wrote the majority of the compositions for his quartet. Some people say that every time he plays the drums, he’s creating a new composition. In 1995 he recorded with Dinah Washington and traveled with her to the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958. Roach had two kids with one wife, one kid with another, twins with another wife.
In 1960, Max recorded an album called We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite with singer Abbey Lincoln, who was currently his wife. Lyricist Oscar Brown Jr. wrote the lyrics. He recorded the album as he was becoming a rights activist for African-Americans. The lyrics for the songs in the album reflect on black rights and African culture. They talk about struggles in Africa and about slavery and being mistreated in America. He was the drummer for the album along with a singer Abbey Lincoln, trumpeter Booker Little, trombonist Julian Priester, and Coleman Hawkins. The album was produced when the American civil rights movement began. Roach came out with yet another album in 1966 called Drums Unlimited. He had many songs that were only made up of long drum solos and the album made him famous for proving that drums sound good by themselves as a solo instrument. He formed an all percussion ensemble in 1970 called M’Boom with Fred King, Joe Chambers, Warren Smith, Roy Brooks, Freddie Waits, Eli Fountain, Francisco Mora, Ray Mantilla, and Omar Clay. For a short amount of time Max was a professor at the University of Massachusetts and taught master drumming classes.
In the 1980’s, Max decided to become the coolest drummer ever and perform concerts with nothing but his drum set. He would improvise at the concerts and somehow he was able to keep the attention of the audience members. Bay State recorded one of his infamous solo concerts and one of his concerts is on youtube. To make some extra money on the side he wrote compositions for plays. Surprisingly he even performed in a hip-hop concert because he felt that the black musicians felt the same way he did when he was younger.
Sadly, Max died in 2007 in Manhattan. Around two thousand people were at his funeral and he now rests in the Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx of New York. “No one ever wrote a bad thing about Max Roach’s music or his aura until 1960, when he and Charlie Mingus protested the practices of the Newport Jazz Festival.” ~ Lieutenant Governor of New York David Paterson, at a funeral tribute for Roach.
Just from listening to Max’s music myself, I can say that he is definitely not overrated for his skills. Although the waltz music he plays is not exactly my type of music, I know that he is amazing at drumming. I watched some of his full concert solos on youtube, and they’re absolutely fascinating to me. He can take such a simple little beat or fill and suddenly change it into something that sounds ridiculously good. His use of dynamics and accents makes his solos suspenseful and interesting. He knows exactly when to hit the drums hard or soft and is always on the beat. It’s unbelievable how much skill Roach had. He could play a twenty minute simple solo and easily keep an audience intrigued.
I listened to a few songs from various jazz groups Max was in, and my favorite song by far was a song called Joy Spring by Clifford Brown and the Max Roach Quintet. Roach played the entire song with brushes did a great job of keeping the song together and keeping the rhythm. At the beginning of the song, a saxophonist and trumpeter took mind-boggling solos. During this time, Max’s drumming is really tight and he sticks to the beat while occasionally adding some cool off-beat licks to add to add a little bit of spice to the music. At around four minutes and twenty seconds, he starts trading fours with the trumpeter. His fills are pretty basic, but he makes them seem like they’re really complex. Then, the saxophonist takes a four bar solo before Max breaks into a crazy cool thirty-two bar brush solo. To wrap up the song, he plays some tight fourth beat rim shots in the background while the rest of the instruments play a melody.
, a live concert from Frankfurt Germany.
, which includes a 5.1 mix of the 13 songs and a video documentary.
. Ghost Rider was nominated for a Canadian Literary award in 2003. He has also written many articles for 
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