Famous Black Drummers

Vote for Your Favourite Drummers

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Teddy Pendergrass
(Singer)
Teddy Pendergrass
4
Birthdate: March 26, 1950
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kingstree, South Carolina, USA
Died: January 13, 2010
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 2 
Questlove
(Musician)
Questlove
5
Birthdate: January 20, 1971
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 3 
Anderson Paak
(Singer)
Anderson Paak
3
Birthdate: February 8, 1986
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Oxnard, California, U.S.
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 4 
DJ Quik
(Rapper)
DJ Quik
3
Birthdate: January 18, 1970
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Compton, California, USA
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 5 
Steve Jordan
(American Musical Director, Producer and Songwriter)
Steve Jordan
1
Birthdate: January 14, 1957
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
 6 
Art Blakey
(Drummer)
Art Blakey
2
Birthdate: October 11, 1919
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died: October 16, 1990
 7 
Earl Palmer
(American drummer)
Earl Palmer
1
Birthdate: October 25, 1924
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: September 19, 2008
 8 
Max Roach
(Musician)
Max Roach
2
Birthdate: January 10, 1924
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Pasquotank County, North Carolina, U.S.
Died: August 16, 2007
 9 
Jeffrey Osborne
(Singer-songwriter)
Jeffrey Osborne
2
Birthdate: March 9, 1948
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
 10 
Bernard Purdie
(Drummer)
Bernard Purdie
0
Birthdate: June 11, 1939
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Elkton, Maryland, United States
 11 
Tony Allen
(Drummer)
Tony Allen
0
Birthdate: July 20, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lagos, Nigeria
Died: April 30, 2020
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 12 
Chester Thompson
(Drummer Best Known for His Tenures with Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention)
Chester Thompson
2
Birthdate: December 11, 1948
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 13 
Billy Cobham
(Drummer)
Billy Cobham
0
Birthdate: May 16, 1944
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Colón, Panama
 14 
Tony Thompson
(Drummer)
Tony Thompson
0
Birthdate: November 15, 1954
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
Died: November 12, 2003
 15 
Carter Beauford
(Drummer, Musician)
Carter Beauford
0
Birthdate: November 2, 1958
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
 16 
Babatunde Olatunji
(Musician, Percussionist)
Babatunde Olatunji
2
Birthdate: April 7, 1927
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ajido
Died: April 6, 2003
 17 
Philly Joe Jones
(American drummer)
Philly Joe Jones
2
Birthdate: July 15, 1923
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Died: August 30, 1985
 18 
Jo Jones
(American Jazz Drummer)
Jo Jones
2
Birthdate: October 7, 1911
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: September 3, 1985
 19 
Jimmy Cobb
(Drummer, Jazz musician)
Jimmy Cobb
2
Birthdate: January 20, 1929
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Washington, D.C., United States
Died: May 24, 2020
 20 
Floyd Sneed
(Canadian Drummer)
Floyd Sneed
1
Birthdate: November 22, 1942
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Calgary, Canada
 21 
Harvey Mason
(Drummer Who Is Member of the Band Fourplay)
Harvey Mason
1
Birthdate: February 22, 1947
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
 22 
Awilo Longomba
(Musician)
Awilo Longomba
0
Birthdate: May 5, 1962
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
 23 
John Blackwell
(Jazz musician)
John Blackwell
1
Birthdate: September 9, 1973
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Died: July 4, 2017
 24 
Charley Drayton
(Multi-instrumentalist and producer, known primarily as a drummer)
Charley Drayton
1
Birthdate: May 9, 1965
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New York, New York, United States
 25 
Earl Hudson
(Drummer)
Earl Hudson
0
Birthdate: December 17, 1957
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Alabama, United States
 26 
Cozy Cole
(Drummer)
Cozy Cole
1
Birthdate: October 17, 1909
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: East Orange, New Jersey, United States
Died: January 9, 1981
 27 
Chris Dave
(Musician)
Chris Dave
0
Birthdate: November 8, 1973
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
 28 
Rashied Ali
(Jazz drummer)
Rashied Ali
1
Birthdate: July 1, 1933
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Died: August 12, 2009
 29 
Earl Young
(Drummer)
Earl Young
0
Birthdate: June 2, 1940
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
 30 
Ed Blackwell
(Drummer)
Ed Blackwell
1
Birthdate: October 10, 1929
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Died: October 7, 1992
 31 
Jerome Brailey
(Drummer, Songwriter)
Jerome Brailey
0
Birthdate: August 20, 1950
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia, United States
 32 
Pete La Roca
(Jazz Drummer)
Pete La Roca
1
Birthdate: April 7, 1938
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: New York City, New York, United States
Died: November 20, 2012
 33 
Fred Below
(Drummer)
Fred Below
0
Birthdate: September 6, 1926
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: August 13, 1988
 34 
Mamady Keïta
(Drummer specialized in the goblet-shaped hand drum called djembe)
Mamady Keïta
1
Birthdate: August 1, 1950
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Balandougou, Guinea
Died: June 21, 2021
 35 
Ziggy Modeliste
(Drummer)
Ziggy Modeliste
0
Birthdate: December 28, 1948
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
 36 
Doudou N'Diaye Rose
(Drummer)
Doudou N'Diaye Rose
1
Birthdate: July 28, 1930
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Dakar, Senegal
Died: August 19, 2015
 37 
Lloyd Knibb
(Jamaican Drummer Known for His Contribution to the Development of the Rhythm of the Ska)
Lloyd Knibb
1
Birthdate: March 8, 1931
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Kingston, Jamaica
Died: May 12, 2011

Lloyd Knibb was a Jamaican drummer and master percussionist best remembered for his contributions to every style of Jamaica's popular and unpopular musical forms, including nyabinghi, jazz, rock steady, and reggae. He is also remembered for playing an important role in the development of ska. Lloyd Knibb is widely regarded as the most influential and important modern drummer in Jamaica.

 38 
Asadata Dafora
(Musician)
Asadata Dafora
0
Birthdate: August 4, 1890
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Freetown, British Sierra Leone
Died: March 4, 1965
 39 
Latyr Sy
(Singer, Drummer)
Latyr Sy
0
Birthdate: September 12, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Gorée, Dakar, Senegal
 40 
Muluken Melesse
(Singer)
Muluken Melesse
1
Birthdate: 1954 AD
Birthplace: Ethiopia
 41 
Johnny Watson
(Musician)
Johnny Watson
0
Birthdate: February 3, 1935
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Houston, Texas, United States
Died: May 17, 1996
 42 
Reg Isidore
(Rock drummer best known for his work with Robin Trower)
Reg Isidore
0
Birthdate: April 4, 1949
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Aruba
Died: March 22, 2009
 43 
Steve Nisbett
(Drummer)
Steve Nisbett
0
Birthdate: March 15, 1948
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Nevis, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Died: January 18, 2018