My favourite 66 drummers so far

Gene married Ethel McGuire in 1934. She was the switchboard operator at the Dixie Hotel where Gene was living while he was working in the pit band of "Girl Crazy." They were divorced in 1942 and remarried in 1946. Ethel died in 1955. Gene then married Patty Bowler in 1959 and they adopted two children, Mary Grace and Michael, who Gene nicknamed "BG." They were divorced in 1968.

Buddy Rich was born on 30 September 1917 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Whiplash (2014), Motherless Brooklyn (2019) and Ship Ahoy (1942). He was married to Marie Allison. He died on 2 April 1987 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Art Blakey was born on 11 October 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for I Called Him Morgan (2016), Revolutionary Road (2008) and Pawn Sacrifice (2014). He was married to Anne Arnold, Atsuko Nakamura, Diana Bates and Clarice Stewart. He died on 16 October 1990 in New York City, New York, USA.

Max Roach was born on 10 January 1924 in Newland, North Carolina, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Shining Girls (2022), Go, Go Second Time Virgin (1969) and Black Sun (1964). He was married to Janus Adams, Abbey Lincoln and Mildred. He died on 15 August 2007 in New York City, New York, USA.

Bernard Pretty Purdie was born on 11 June 1939 in Elkton, Maryland, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Smokin' Aces (2006).

Ringo Starr is a British musician, actor, director, writer, and artist best known as the drummer of The Beatles who also coined the title 'A Hard day's Night' for The Beatles' first movie.

He was born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, in a small two-storey house in the working class area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. His father, Richard Starkey, was a former dockworker turned baker; his mother, Elsie (Gleave) Starkey, was a bakery worker. His parents divorced when he was three and he and his mother, Elsie, moved to another home in Liverpool. While attending Silas Infants' Schools he suffered from many afflictions that basically ruined his education: he had constant abdominal pains, was once diagnosed with a ruptured appendix that led to an inflamed peritoneum, which also led to one of his first surgeries. Ringo was in a coma, and his recovery took a couple of months, during which more operations were performed, and he was known to be accident-prone. Shortly after he came out of the coma, he was trying to offer a toy bus to another boy in an adjoining bed, but fell and suffered from a concussion. When he finally was able to go back to school, he learned that he was far behind in his studies. At age 13 he caught a cold that turned into chronic pleurisy, causing him another stay at a hospital in Liverpool. A few lung complications followed, which resulted in a treatment in yet another children's hospital, this time until 1955. Meanwhile, Richard's mother Elsie had married Harry Graves, the man who her son referred to as a "step-ladder".

At the age of 15 he could barely read or write, although he had aptitude for practical subjects such as woodwork and mechanics. At that time he dropped out of school and got his first job was as a delivery boy for British Rail. His second job was a barman on a ferry to New Brighton, and his next was as a trainee joiner at Henry Hunt & Sons. Ringo injured his finger on the first day of his new job, and then he decided to become a drummer. His dream came true, when his stepfather bought him a new drum kit, and Richard promised to be the best drummer ever.

In 1957, together with Eddie Miles, he started his own band called 'Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group'. At that time he became known as Ritchie, and eventually became caught in the Liverpool's Skiffle craze. Although he was self-taught, he was a good time-keeper, and developed an original beat with his signature accentuations, due to his left-handed manner of playing on the right-handed drum set. He traveled from band to band, but he eventually landed a spot with "Raving Texans", which was a backing band for Rory Storm, later known as "Rory Storm & The Hurricanes", a popular band at that time Liverpool. Rory Storm encouraged Richard to enhance his career by legally changing his name to Ringo Starr. The Hurricanes topped the bill at one of Liverpool's clubs, where The Beatles also had a gig. Ringo's group was at times sharing popularity with The Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers. He wanted to leave The Hurricanes to join another group called "The Seniors."

Before Ringo, The Beatles tried several other drummers. At one point they were so desperate, that they even invited strangers from the audience to fill the position. Then came Pete Best who was not considered by the other band members to be the greatest drummer, and they were keen to recruit Ringo as his replacement. On June 6, 1962, at the Abbey Road studios, The Beatles passed Martin's audition with the exception of Pete Best. George Martin liked them, but recommended the change of a drummer. Being asked by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison; Epstein fired Pete Best. After a mutual decision the band was completed with Ringo Starr. Ringo contributed to their first hit in September of 1962, when The Beatles recorded Love Me Do, which charted in UK, and reached the top of the US singles chart.

Ringo's steady and reliable drumming became essential in their studio sessions, as well as in their numerous and exhausting live performances across the world. Ringo's positive disposition as well as his drumming style played the pivotal role in shaping the famous image and music style of The Beatles as they are now known to the world, under the management of Brian Epstein and music producer George Martin. Ringo filled the position of a drummer for The Beatles in the most critical time of the band's formation. He quickly connected with the other three members of The Beatles, and contributed to their music and creativity with his easy-going personality, light humour, reliable drumming and inventive musicianship. All four members were charismatic and individually talented artists, they sparked each other from the beginning. Eventually they made a much better group effort under the thorough management by Brian Epstein whose coaching helped consolidate their talents and mutual stimulation into beautiful teamwork.

Starr had dreamed of becoming a professional actor since his younger years. He wanted to be in movies probably more so than the other members of The Beatles. In 1964, during the first months of Beatlemania, Ringo coined the phrase 'A Hard Day's Night' which soon became the official title of the Beatles' first movie, in replacement for the working title 'Beatlemania'. Ringo received great reviews for his performance in A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965). At first, Ringo did not have a songwriting career, although he had no problem with his name recognition, however, he had a problem with getting his songs noticed. At that time he got help from his friends; John and Paul wrote a song or two for him to sing on their albums, such as "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Yellow Submarine". He also sang on "Boys" (by Luther Dixon and Wes Farrell) and "Honey Don't (by Carl Perkins), During his eight-year career with The Beatles, Ringo wrote two original songs: "Don't Pass Me By" and "Octopus' Garden" for which he also sang the lead vocals. He is listed as co-writing "What Goes On" from Rubber Soul with Lennon and McCartney. Besides his drumming, Ringo's voice was recorded on many of the most popular Beatle's songs, contributing to their unique sound and tight harmonies.

He had a hectic solo career during the 1970s, after the breakup of The Beatles. However, Ringo eventually emerged as a steady performer, and sustained a very popular solo career, turning out a dozen chart-topping hit songs and eight best-selling albums. He made a famous appearance together with George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, and other popular musicians in the landmark 'Concert for Bangladesh' in 1971. His 1973 solo release "Ringo" was the last album to feature all four living Beatles, although not on the same song. He also appeared in various TV shows, including his own special, Ringo (1978), and a TV mini-series, Princess Daisy (1983), with his wife Barbara. In 1984 he did narration for the children's series Thomas & Friends (1984). During the 1980s, after having a long period of troubles with alcohol, Ringo and his wife attended a rehabilitation clinic, and came back to the scene sober. He made the All-Starr Band tour of America and Japan. The tour was so popular that he formed another All-Starr Band lineup in 1992, and began an American and European tour in June of that year. Since then Ringo Starr has been enjoying a continuous career as the leader of the All-Starr Band. In 1994, along with George Harrison and Paul McCartney, the three surviving members of The Beatles, reunited and produced Lennon's previously unknown song 'Free as a Bird'. It was preserved by 'Yoko Ono' on a tape recording made by John Lennon in 1977. The song was re-arranged and re-mixed with the voices of three surviving members, and became an international hit. 'Free as a Bird' was also included in The Beatles Anthology TV documentary which was watched by 420 million people in 1995. Ringo, Paul and George sang their new songs, in addition to mixing their voices and music arrangements to John Lennon demos.

Ringo's old friend and band-mate George Harrison passed away on November 29, 2001, after a long battle against lung cancer. The following year, on the anniversary of Harrison's death, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton appeared in a Concert For George, to raise money for the support of Harrison's legacy in exploration of alternative lifestyles, views and philosophies. Starr also supported charitable organizations with consideration to those who have special needs.

Ringo Starr updated the role of a drummer in popular music, he made drummer an equal partner to the lead musicians, thus changing the whole paradigm in how the public saw drummers. His original performing style evolved from adjusting his natural left-handed manner of playing to the right-handed drum set, and allowing his left hand lead in weaving a pattern tightly intertwined with the music of other players, and adding such enhancements as unusual accents and stops. Ringo's musical originality as well as his inventive drumming patterns, time signatures and accentuations became essential to the sound of The Beatles. His on-stage presence and acting talent as well as his humor and musicianship was the essential part in formation and remarkable career of The Beatles.

He was married to his long-time girlfriend, Maureen Cox, from 1965 - 1975, and they had three children: Zak Starkey, Jason, and Lee. The couple broke up in July of 1975, and he married actress Barbara Bach. Ringo Starr divides his time between his residences in England, in Switzerland and his home in Los Angeles, California.

Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 - 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.

Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an interest in jazz at a young age and joined the band Blues Incorporated. He also started playing drums in London's rhythm and blues clubs, where he met future band-mates Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones. In January 1963, he left Blues Incorporated and joined the Rolling Stones as drummer, while doubling as designer of their record sleeves and tour stages. Watts's first public appearance as a permanent member was in February 1963, and he remained with the group for 58 years.

Nicknamed "The Wembley Whammer" by Jagger, Watts cited jazz as a major influence on his drumming style. At the time of Watts's death, Watts, Jagger and Richards were the only members of the band to have performed on every one of the band's studio albums. Aside from his career with the Rolling Stones, Watts toured with his own group, the Charlie Watts Quintet, and appeared in London at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with the Charlie Watts Tentet.

In 1989, Watts was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones. He is often regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time.

Mick Avory was born on 15 February 1944 in Hampton, Middlesex, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Return to Waterloo (1984), The Kinks: In Their Own Words (2007) and The Kinks: Live in Performance (2007).

Keith John Moon was born to working class parents in Wembley, London, England, on the 23rd August, 1946. At the age of 12, he had joined the Sea Cadet Corp and was given his first musical instrument, the bugle. He left school by 15 and was in his first band, The Beachcombers; this was around the summer of 1963. There was rumour that Keith was self-taught, but history says otherwise, he was shown how to play by the late Carlo Little (1938-2005), Carlo was the original drummer in The Rolling Stones and Screaming Lord Sutch's band, The Savages.

By the age of 18, he had joined a local London band, The High Numbers; this was to consist of what is now known as The Who.

With his own unique style of drumming, rolling the sticks along the skins as to banging the typical beat, he was to become extrovertly charismatic in his life as well as his playing. With a desire, a need if you like, to be the centre of attention, this hyperactive, and largely, self destructive, personality became his own worst enemy.

With a flair for theatrical and ridiculous behaviour, he was the centre point and self-publicist for, if they liked it or not, The Who.

In the meantime, he had fathered a daughter, Mandy, to Kim. He may have been the perfect showman, but behind the scenes, he was often a very aggressive man to live around and with. Kim soon left him, taking their young daughter with her.

He started to live the high life in California, with the likes of John Lennon, Harry Nilsson and Ringo Starr, Ringo's son, Zak, was his godson, ironically, it was Zak who played with The Who in their later career, during the nineties and beyond.

While in California, he made his only solo album, Two Sides of The Moon, for MCA Records, a 1975 release, with many guest artists. Keith rarely played the drums while away from The Who, he sang on the album, and played the drums on only three of the tracks.

His on-stage aggression, destroying his drum kits while still playing them and wrecking hotel rooms, apart from being an obvious publicity stunt, was fuelled with an over use of drugs and alcohol. This addictive side to his nature flowed into the 70s, playing against the band, his family and friends. His drumming became irregular and unpredictable. He put on weight, so much so as to have him sit in a chair with the backrest toward the camera, to hide his paunch, on the cover of the last The Who album with Keith, the 1978 Who are You.

He died in September 7th, 1978; his death was an accident, by the overuse of the prescribed medicine that was designed to ease him off his drink addiction. He died in the same London apartment as Cass Elliot, from The Mamas and the Papas, who had died there some four years earlier.

Ginger Baker was born on 19 August 1939 in Lewisham, London, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for The Harder They Fall (2021), Casino (1995) and Gonks Go Beat (1964). He was married to Kudzai Machokoto, Karen Loucks Rinedollar, Sarah Dixon and Elizabeth Ann Finch. He died on 6 October 2019 in Canterbury, Kent, UK.

Dino Danelli was born on 23 July 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul: Out of the Darkness (1984), Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul: Under the Gun (1982) and Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul: Lyin' in a Bed of Fire, Live (1982). He died on 15 December 2022 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.

Mitch Mitchell was born on 9 July 1947 in Ealing, Middlesex, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for The Groundstar Conspiracy (1972), Jennings at School (1958) and The Mend (2014). He was married to Lynn Collins. He died on 12 November 2008 in Portland, Oregon, USA.

Carmine Appice was born on 15 December 1946 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for No Way Out (1987), A Night at the Roxbury (1998) and So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993).

Jim Capaldi was born on 2 August 1944 in Evesham, Worcestershire, England, UK. He was an actor and composer, known for Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Masters of the Universe (1987). He was married to Aninha. He died on 28 January 2005 in London, England, UK.

Ian Paice was born on 29 June 1948 in Nottingham, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Point Break (1991), Twister (1996) and Almost Famous (2000). He is married to Jacky. They have three children.

John Bonham is still regularly voted in polls as the greatest and most influential rock drummer of all time, an opinion which has also been expressed by the likes of Roger Taylor of Queen, Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He started playing drums at the age of five using a makeshift kit and later progressed to real drums. His influences included great American jazz drummers such as Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. He played in a series of bands and formed an association with Robert Plant through Band of Joy, who combined blues, psychedelics and extended musical workouts. According to Plant: "Bonzo was totally and absolutely devoted to getting it right. Everything that he listened to he could go beyond, not only could he recreate it but he could take it somewhere new. He knew that he was a powerhouse among drummers... we seemed to have a great affinity for each other."

Although Bonham and Plant went their separate ways after Band of Joy, they reunited in The Yardbirds, which already featured Jimmy Page. John Paul Jones joined and this led to the formation of Led Zeppelin, who released their first album in 1969. They went on to become the biggest rock band of the 1970s, achieving extraordinary success in the United States in particular.

Bonham died aged 32 in 1980. He had a reputation as a heavy drinker and had consumed too much vodka in the 24 hours before his death, which caused vomiting and asphyxiation. The coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. Led Zeppelin announced they were finished as a band. According to Page, the band could not have continued without him, he was so integral to their sound. They didn't play again as Led Zeppelin until Live Aid (1985), which included Plant's solo drummer Phil Collins and The Power Station's Tony Thompson replacing him in a performance which has been disowned by the band. Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, has become a successful drummer himself and a member of Led Zeppelin for subsequent reunion performances.

Drummer/producer Daniel Seraphine was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 28, 1948, and was raised in Little Italy. He has said that his interest in music probably saved him from becoming a street tough.

By the late 60s, Seraphine was drumming in various bands, including one with teen friends Walter Parazaider (woodwinds) and Terry Kath (guitar). Named at first The Big Thing, the band eventually became Chicago, and Seraphine should be considered a founding member.

Once producer James Guercio got Chicago out to Los Angeles, things began to take off for Seraphine and the others. They managed to record their first album - a double one - in just two weeks. Famous for keyboardist Robert Lamm's songs, Kath's incredible guitar, and trombonist Jimmy Pankow's brass arrangements, "The Chicago Transit Authority" also features the rock-solid Peter Cetera (bass)/Seraphine rhythm section. Seraphine in particular shines on songs such as "Introduction" and "I'm A Man."

Creative and lightening fast, Seraphine could handle all aspects of the skins. Early Chicago efforts feature him bashing through classic rockers ("25 or 6 to 4"), doing his best Buddy Rich on jazz charts ("Devil's Suite"), and sizzling his Slingerland set with solos ("Now More Than Ever," "Motorboat to Mars"). His funky backbeats were a highlight when the band went soulful (e.g., "Skin Tight").

Not much of a writer at first, Seraphine later ended up penning some hits ("Little One," "Take Me Back to Chicago"), some filler ("Show Me the Way," "Birthday Boy"), and the interesting "Street Player" and "Aloha Mama." His writing partner was often the keyboard guy for Chaka Khan and Rufus, David "Hawk" Wolinski.

After periods where at first Lamm and then Pankow were defacto leaders of the group, the mantle fell to Seraphine (about the time of "Chicago XI" - 1977). According to Seraphine, this was because the others in the group were messed up on drugs. Kath's accidental suicide (possibly drug-related) in 1978 should have served as a wake-up call, but, in fact, several band members attest that the situation only got worse. Seraphine, ostensibly the only sober guy, ended up investigating management.

What he found wasn't good. Apparently, the band was being big-time ripped off. The fall-out included an acrimonious split from Guercio and a series of lawsuits. But Seraphine's troubles were far from over.

In 1974, former Sergio Mendes session man Laudir De Oliveira was added to the band as a percussionist (he'd done sessions with Chicago dating back to "VI"). In recent interviews, Pankow has said that De Oliveira was brought on board at Kath's insistence to keep the rhythm section on track. According to Pankow, Kath and others simply thought Danny wasn't cutting it. For his part, Danny has dismissed this as nonsense, saying HE got De Oliveira in the group to help expand their Latin feel. By the time Chicago rose from the ashes of the has-been bin in '82 with the release of "16" (with much credit due to Seraphine, who brought Bill Champlin on board), pop music had fallen in love with the drum machine. Seraphine came to grips with the technology, and "17" and "18" featured no live drums. The details are murky, but the official story is that Seraphine lost his chops (Danny denies this, saying, "I'll always have chops"). By "Twenty-One" (1991), session drummer Tris Imboden (who, it must be said, is excellent) had taken over, and, shortly thereafter, Seraphine was fired.

In 2008 interviews, Danny has been more candid about his departure. Initially reluctant to go into details, he has now stated that Champlin and singer Jason Scheff weren't keen on a drummer running the band, and issued Chicago an ultimatum: either HE goes, or WE go. In one or two instances, he's also mentioned that the originals had made a pact to stick together - a pact he indicates was heartlessly broken at the time (though he still calls his former partners "good guys"). Bandmates such as Pankow assert that Danny didn't spend enough time practicing, and that live shows were disastrous because of it; when an intervention didn't work, Seraphine was fired. Seraphine has scoffed at this as being a cover story for their true motives.

Since then, Seraphine has kept himself busy with a variety of musical and theatrical projects. Bearded and balding during Chicago's heyday (sporting the occasional toupee), Seraphine is now a goateed producer living in L.A. (after many years in Colorado). He has been divorced at least once, and has several children (some of whom he'd dedicated the song "Little One"). He worked with ex-CBS/Epic Records exec Ron Alexenberg, and co-produced and performed on Lyric's "Chocolate Soup" as well as their hit single, "Would I Lie". In more recent years, Seraphine has turned his attention to producing and resourcing investment for Broadway shows (he and Scott Prisand have been instrumental in bringing the Andrew Lloyd Webber hit musical "Bombay Dreams" to Broadway, following its London run).

In 2007, Seraphine began performing again with his new group California Transit Authority. They released a CD entitled "Full Circle," which is a mix of fusion and lively Chicago remakes. The band performs live from time to time and is developing a following.

Joseph Modeliste is known for Red (2010), Shazam! (2019) and Hancock (2008). He is married to Katherine Modeliste.

Pierre van der Linden was born on 19 February 1946 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. He is an actor, known for Baff - Fast eine Sendung (1968) and Grand Prix R.T.L. International 71 (1971).

Ralph Molina is known for Parada 88 - O Limite de Alerta (1978), Neil Young: Sample and Hold (1983) and Way Down in the Rust Bucket (2021).

Greg Errico was born on 1 September 1948 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is known for Apocalypse Now (1979), Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) and Modern Drug (2015).

Bill Ward was born on 5 May 1948 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Iron Man (2008), Suicide Squad (2016) and Almost Famous (2000).

Simon Kirke was born on 28 July 1949 in Shropshire, England, UK. He is an actor and composer, known for Almost Famous (2000), The Ice Storm (1997) and 27 Dresses (2008). He was previously married to Lorraine Kirke.

Cesar Zuiderwijk was born on 18 July 1948 in Netherlands. He is an actor, known for Flodder (1986), Golden Earring: Quiet Eyes (1986) and Golden Earring: The Devil Made Me Do It (1983).

Bill Bruford was born on 17 May 1949 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Apollo 18 (2011), Mandy (2018) and Buffalo '66 (1998). He has been married to Carolyn since 2 March 1973. They have three children.