Drummers
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When it comes to contemporary western music, drummers play a key role in maintaining the rhythm and adding to the musical timbre. The role of a good drummer in a jazz or rock band should never be underestimated! Musician Bruce Springsteen has always been generous in recognizing the role his long-term drummer Max Weinberg played in the success of his band. Other musicians too have acknowledged the significance of having a credible drummer in the band. French bandleader Christian Vander is also a drummer credited to have contributed greatly to the success of the bands he played for. Talking of the top drummers of all time, how can we forget Guns N' Roses' Steven Adler whose signature drumming style helped the band carve their own niche during their hey days? Drumming is primarily considered a man’s domain but exuberant women drummers like Cindy Blackman prove that the ladies aren’t far behind when it comes to playing the percussion instruments! Karen Carpenter, Meg White, Leah Shapiro, and Maureen Tucker are among the awesome women drummers who have proved their mettle in the male-dominated drumming scenario. Check out this section to know more about the life and works of famous drummers.
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1
Phil Collins(Drummer & Lead Singer of the Rock Band 'Genesis')
Birthdate: January 30, 1951
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Chiswick, Middlesex, London, United Kingdom
Phil Collins is best known for his work with the popular rock band Genesis. Having sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, he is one of the best-selling music artists in the world. Phil is one of three recording artists who have sold more than 100 million records both as principal members of a band and as solo artists.
2
Ringo Starr(The Drummer of the Rock Band 'The Beatles')
Birthdate: July 7, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Dingle, Liverpool, England
English musician, singer, and songwriter, Ringo Starr, gained international fame as the drummer for the rock band, the Beatles. Raised by a single mother, he had a difficult childhood. He sought solace in music and it became his vocation. After finding success with the Beatles, he embarked on a solo career as well.
3
Dave Grohl(Founder of the Rock Band 'Foo Fighters')
Birthdate: January 14, 1969
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Warren, Ohio, United States
Regarded as one of the most popular and influential rock musicians of the 1990s and 2000s, Dave Grohl is best known for his association with the famous rock band Nirvana, for which he was the drummer. Also a singer-songwriter, Dave Grohl was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
4
Tommy Lee(Founding Member of the Heavy Metal Band 'Mötley Crüe')
Birthdate: October 3, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Athens, Greece
Best known as the drummer and founding member of the bands Mötley Crüe and Methods of Mayhem, Tommy Lee Bass has been riddled with major controversies and has even spent time in jail for spousal abuse. Brash and bold, he has also been named to VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists list.
Birthdate: November 14, 1975
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Fontana, California, United States
Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is known for his mohawk and tattoos. He has also been part of bands such as The Transplants, +44, and Box Car Racer, and starred in the reality series Meet the Barkers. He owns a record label and a clothing brand, and has written a memoir.
Birthdate: May 31, 1948
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Redditch, England, UK
Died: September 25, 1980
John Bonham was an English drummer and songwriter. Considered one of the most influential and greatest rock drummers in history, Bonham was part of the world-renowned rock band Led Zeppelin. He influenced several drummers like Joey Kramer, Dave Grohl, Ian Mosley, Neil Peart, and Tommy Lee among other famous drummers. Bonham is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Birthdate: August 23, 1946
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wembley, England
Died: September 7, 1978
Keith Moon was an English drummer whose drug addiction and self-destructive behavior overshadowed his contribution to the rock band The Who. His drumming continues to attract appreciation from critics. Several other drummers like Dave Grohl and Neil Peart have cited Moon's drumming style as an influence. In 1982, he was inducted posthumously into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.
8
Neil Peart(Best Known as the Drummer and Primary Lyricist of the Rock Band 'Rush')
Birthdate: September 12, 1952
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Hamilton, Canada
Died: January 7, 2020
Neil Peart was a Canadian songwriter, author, and musician. Best known as the drummer of the popular rock band Rush, Peart was nicknamed The Professor for his technical proficiency. In 1983, Neil Peart became the youngest person ever to be inducted into the Modern Drummer publication's Readers Poll Hall of Fame.
Birthdate: June 2, 1941
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Kingsbury, London, England
Died: August 24, 2021
English drummer, Charlie Watts, was best known as a member of the band Rolling Stones. He was associated with the group for almost 60 years. He began his career as a graphic designer for an advertising company and played with bands in his leisure time. He eventually started drumming full time with Rolling Stones.
Birthdate: June 24, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Redruth, Cornwall, England
11
Ginger Baker
(Former Drummer known for co-founder and occasional vocalist of the rock band Cream)
Birthdate: August 19, 1939
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Lewisham, South London, England
Died: October 6, 2019
12
Chad Smith
(drummer, musician)
Birthdate: October 25, 1961
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Saint Paul
Birthdate: December 12, 1957
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Oakland, California, United States
14
Levon Helm
(Singer, Musician, Autobiographer, Composer, Actor, Mandolinist, Drummer, Songwriter)
Birthdate: May 26, 1940
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Elaine
Died: April 19, 2012
Birthdate: September 30, 1917
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Died: April 2, 1987
16
Alex van Halen(The Drummer and Co-Founder of the Rock Band 'Van Halen')
Birthdate: May 8, 1953
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Alex Van Halen is an American musician known for his drumming skills. He is credited with co-founding the now-defunct band, Van Halen. The band's self-titled debut album influenced several musicians in hard rock at the time of its release in 1978. Alex is also credited with coining the term brown sound, which was usually associated with his late-brother Eddie's guitar.
17
Stewart Copeland
(Musician)
Birthdate: July 16, 1952
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Alexandria, Virginia, USA
18
Jeff Porcaro
(Former Drummer best known for his work with the rock band Toto, but is one of the most recorded session musicians, working on hundreds of albums and thousands of sessions)
Birthdate: April 1, 1954
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Died: August 5, 1992
19
Steven Adler
(Drummer and co-songwriter of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s)
Birthdate: January 22, 1965
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Cleveland, Ohio, United States
20
Phil Rudd
(Drummer, best known as the drummer of AC/DC across three stints)
Birthdate: May 19, 1954
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
21
Karen Carpenter(Singer & Drummer Known for Her Distinctive Three-Octave Contralto Vocal Range)
Birthdate: March 2, 1950
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Died: February 4, 1983
One half of the popular musical duo The Carpenters, Karen Carpenter was an American drummer and singer. Her death at age 32 and life-long struggles with eating disorders led to increased awareness of conditions like anorexia and body dysmorphia, which were little-known at the time. In 2010, Carpenter was named on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers of all time list.
22
Roger Taylor(Best Known As The Drummer Of The Rock Band 'Queen')
Birthdate: July 26, 1949
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: King's Lynn, Norfolk, England
Roger Taylor soared to fame as the drummer of the iconic rock band Queen. A Planet Rock poll named him the eighth-greatest classic rock drummer. Taylor also became known for his falsetto vocal range and co-wrote hits such as Innuendo and Under Pressure. He also appeared on Pop Quiz.
23
Meg White
(photographer, musician, actor, percussionist)
Birthdate: December 10, 1974
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Detroit
Birthdate: October 3, 1954
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Dallas
Died: August 27, 1990
Stevie Ray Vaughan was an American musician. Stevie achieved so much in his mainstream career, that spanned only seven years, that he is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists ever and one of the most influential and iconic musicians in the blues music history. He is credited with reviving blues-rock and his work continues to influence several artists.
25
Don Henley
(Founding Member, Drummer and Co-Lead Vocalist of the Rock Band 'The Eagles')
Birthdate: July 22, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gilmer, Texas, United States
Don Henley is an American record producer, singer, songwriter, and musician. A founding member of Eagles, Henley contributed immensely to the success of the band. Don Henley has also been successful as a solo artist, selling more than 10 million albums and winning two Grammy Awards. In 2008, Rolling Stone magazine named him among the greatest singers of all time.
Birthdate: February 17, 1972
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
27
Danny Carey
(Drummer, Jazz musician)
Birthdate: May 10, 1961
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lawrence
28
Lars Ulrich(Drummer and Co-founder of American Heavy Metal Band ‘Metallica’)
Birthdate: December 26, 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Gentofte, Denmark
Musician, songwriter, and record producer, Lars Ulrich, is best known as the drummer and co-founder of American heavy metal band Metallica. Born into a family of tennis players, he was initially expected to play the sport as well. However, he was more interested in music and proceeded to pursue a successful career in the field.
Birthdate: December 4, 1944
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Inglewood, California, United States
Died: December 28, 1983
30
Joshua Dun(American Musician, Drummer and One Half of the Musical Duo ‘Twenty One Pilots’)
Birthdate: June 18, 1988
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio, United States
Joshua William Dun, or Josh Dun, gained fame as part of the music duo Twenty One Pilots, with Tyler Joseph. Apart from being the drummer, he also contributes to percussion and trumpet. He had earlier been part of House of Heroes. He is known for his signature X tattoo.
Birthdate: November 15, 1974
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Hanna, Alberta, Canada
Chad Kroeger gained fame as the lead singer and guitarist of the rock band Nickelback, delivering hit singles such as How You Remind Me and topping the Canadian charts. He later co-founded the band The Suits XL and also collaborated with major artists such as Santana and Avril Lavigne.
Birthdate: March 31, 1984
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Bergenfield, New Jersey, USA
33
Teddy Pendergrass
(Singer)
Birthdate: March 26, 1950
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Kingstree, South Carolina, USA
Died: January 13, 2010
34
Dave Lombardo
(Drummer, Musician)
Birthdate: February 16, 1965
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Havana, Cuba
35
Joey Ramone(Lead vocalist of the punk rock band the Ramones)
Birthdate: May 19, 1951
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Forest Hills, New York, United States
Died: April 15, 2001
Joey Ramone revolutionized punk rock with his band the Ramones. He was known for his distinctive hiccups, croons, and snarls, which he incorporated in his songs. He was also part of the activist group Artists United Against Apartheid. He died at 49, after a 7-year struggle with lymphoma.
Birthdate: September 22, 1957
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Warracknabeal
Nick Cave is best known as the lead singer of the rock band Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. The ARIA Hall of Fame inductee is known for the intense themes of his songs, such as death. He has also written several books, including novels and anthologies of his poetry.
Birthdate: April 13, 1951
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: South Orange, New Jersey, USA
Birthdate: December 29, 1947
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Cirencester
Died: April 5, 1998
Birthdate: January 20, 1971
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Birthdate: November 1, 1997
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA
41
Till Lindemann
(Lead Vocalist and Lyricist of 'Neue Deutsche Härte' Band 'Rammstein')
Birthdate: January 4, 1963
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Leipzig, Germany
German singer-songwriter and poet Till Lindemann is best-recognised as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the German heavy-metal band Rammstein and for the musical project Lindemann that he fronted. Roadrunner Records listed him among "50 Greatest Metal Frontmen of All Time". He has also published two books of poetry, In stillen Nächten and Messer, and featured in minor roles in movies.
42
Stephen Stills
(Singer-songwriter)
Birthdate: January 3, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, United States
Birthdate: November 28, 1962
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: San Diego, California, USA
Birthdate: July 14, 1945
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
45
Vinnie Paul
(Former Musician best known for being the drummer and co-founder of the heavy metal band Pantera)
Birthdate: March 11, 1964
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Abilene, Texas, United States
Died: June 22, 2018
Birthdate: September 16, 1988
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rochester, New York, USA
47
Peter Criss
(Drummer, Singer)
Birthdate: December 20, 1945
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York, United States
48
Mitch Mitchell
(Drummer, Actor, Film actor)
Birthdate: July 9, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Ealing
Died: November 12, 2008
49
Gene Krupa
(American drummer)
Birthdate: January 15, 1909
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Died: October 16, 1973
Birthdate: October 19, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States