The Gig is Up (But the Beat Goes On) - Drummers Quiz

Answer: Buddy Rich

Born on September 30, 1917, Buddy was already gigging as a solo performer with his vaudeville act "Traps the Drum Wonder" by 1921, and was a regular performer on the Broadway circuit at four years old, becoming the second highest paid child entertainer in the world. Amazing is the fact that he never received any formal lessons, and never played unless he was performing. By 1939, he was backing Tommy Dorsey, and then later playing with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Ventura, and of course, Gene Krupa.

In later years, Buddy toured with his own bands, performed at his two nightclubs to SRO crowds, and was a regular on many T.V. talk shows. His honors, awards, and special performances are too numerous to list, and his influence over drummers of all genres continues to this day. Buddy is buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA.

Answer: Eric Carr

Eric Carr joined KISS on July 1, 1980, after being one of the last drummers interviewed to replace Peter on the levitating throne. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley cite Eric's "unknown" quality, along with his double-bass technique and "heavier metal" style (compared to Peter's "groovin' jazz" approach) as several of the reasons for the choice.

Born Paul Caravello on July 15, 1950, in Brooklyn, NY, Eric found his beat during the British Invasion of the early 60s, with Ringo as his first major influence.

After forming a top-40 band in the mid-60s, then gigging with a number of disco-style bands throughout the 70s, Eric hit the big time when a friend suggested he try out for KISS after Peter's departure was announced, and the rest is history. Assuming his new stage name and (after some experimentation) his new persona as "the fox", Eric debuted with KISS on July 25th at the Palladium in New York.

He was diagnosed with cancer soon after the "Hot in the Shade" tour in 1990, and passed away in 1991 despite aggressive treatments. Eric is buried in Cedar Hill Cemetery in New York.

Answer: Larrie London

Larrie London (born Ralph Gallant October 15, 1943) began his phenomenal career in Norfolk, VA. in the 1950s, playing Rock n' Roll in several local bands before moving on to the studios of Detroit to record with some of Motown's biggest acts: Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, and Smokey Robinson to name a few. Eventually, Larrie found his way to Nashville, where he established himself as the most sought-after studio drummer of Country Music, while still finding time to tour and record with Elvis. Easily one of the most listened-to drummers of all time, he played on hundreds of hit records and thousands of sessions with artists that covered the entire musical spectrum, ranging from Steve Perry and Journey to B.B. King, The Four Tops to Reba McEntire, Lionel Ritchie to Dan Fogelberg, and numerous others. On April 24, 1992, Larrie suffered a heart attack after hosting a drum clinic, and remained in a coma until his death in Nashville.

Answer: Keith Moon

A fine actor (Uncle Ernie in "Tommy") as well as an extraordinary musician, Keith (born August 23, 1946 in London) was a huge factor in defining the Who's sound and stage presence. To quote Roger Daltrey, "Pete Townshend and John Entwistle were like wool.. and Keith was the needles".

A master showman who was monumental to bringing the rock drummer to the forefront of the stage, Keith's frantic and uninhibited style matched his personal life perfectly. After years of alcohol and substance abuse, he was eventually prescribed Heminevrin to help with his drinking problem. On September 6, 1978, Keith was Paul McCartney's guest at a party and film review of the "Buddy Holly Story", and was found dead in his flat the next afternoon.

A post mortem revealed 32 Heminevrin tablets in his system. Keith was cremated, and his ashes in the Garden of Remembrance in London.

Answer: A heart attack following gall bladder surgery.

Tony Williams (b. December 12, 1945) was sitting in at clubs and jam sessions in Boston before his teens, and began playing professionally with jazz saxophonists Sam Rivers and Jackie McLean within a few short years. By 17, as a member of the Miles Davis Quintet(along with Herbie Hancock), he began to redefine the role of a jazz drummer as not only a timekeeper, but as an equal partner and contributor, thereby influencing and inspiring many other musicians following his path. Tony's interest in rock music allowed him to pioneer the "fusion" style (a mixture of jazz, rock, and R&B), and after leaving Davis in 1969, he formed and recorded with several bands that highlighted this new movement. Tony continued to play, record, and teach up until the time of his death, which came as a complete shock to the music industry.

Answer: Cozy Powell

Cozy (his stage name in tribute to jazz drummer Cozy Cole) began his career in the school orchestra and a youth club in England. After touring with his band The Sorcerers (later renamed Youngblood) throughout the early to mid 60s, he began to record and do session work while striking up friendships with then-unknowns Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) and Noddy Holder (Slade), as well as Robert Plant and John Bonham (Led Zep). Cozy then joined the Jeff Beck Group in 1970, recording two albums before the band broke up. Keeping himself busy as a session drummer, he also recorded an instrumental drum solo single, "Dance with the Devil", which was a very successful hit in the U.K., as well as a major influence for countless young drummers at the time. Cozy joined Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in 1976, and was considered for a time to replace Led Zeppelin's John Bonham in 1980. Throughout the 80s, Cozy played with the Michael Schenker Group ('81-'82), Whitesnake ('82-'84), Keith Emerson and Greg Lake (ELP, '86) and Black Sabbath ('88-'91).

He continued to play and record with many other top artists in the industry throughout the 90s.

Answer: Billy Higgins

Billy Higgins (b. Oct. 11, 1936) evolved from his L.A. based Rock and R&B roots during the 50s to become, much like Larrie London, one of the premier studio and touring drummers of his genre. A primary contributor to the "free jazz renaissance" movement of the 50s and 60s, Billy recorded with Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman, Lee Morgan, Cedar Walton, and a score of other important jazz artists, as well as with veteran heavyweights Curtis Fuller, Bobby Hutcherson, and Harold Land with the "Timeless All Stars".

However, Billy's contributions as a teacher, hosting numerous drum clinics, workshops, and community activities will remain as one of his most enduring legacies. In 1980, he formed a cultural center in Los Angeles which provided music education to many young artists, and served as an instructor on the jazz faculty at UCLA. Billy passed away in May of 2001 of pneumonia while waiting for a liver donor to become available.

Answer: A pesticide

Influenced and instructed by his dad Joe, Jeff (b. April 1, 1954) began playing before the age of seven, and left high school during his senior year to back up Sonny and Cher on tour. He later recorded several albums with Steely Dan, and played on Boz Skagg's "Silk Degrees" LP (as well as writing "Lido Shuffle" and "Lowdown", two huge hits from that album). Co-founding Toto in 1976, and remaining a full-time member until his death, Jeff continued to play on major hit albums with a virtual constellation of the music industry's biggest stars, including Elton John's "Jump Up", Bruce Springsteen's "Human Touch", Warren Zevon's "Excitable Boy", Michael Jackson's "Thriller", and Don Henley's "End of the Innocence". An autopsy would reveal Jeff had an serious, undiagnosed heart condition; his funeral, held August 10th at Forest Lawn in Los Angeles, was attended by an estimated 1500 friends, colleagues, and fans.

Answer: John Bonham

John "Bonzo" Bonham (b. May 31, 1948, nicknamed after a British comic strip character) began his career at a very early age, imitating his idols Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa on almost anything he could find around the house to pound on. He gigged with several bands in the early to mid 60s, one being the blues-based Crawling King Snakes, where he would first play with Robert Plant. Jimmy Page, after leaving the Yardbirds and in search for personnel for a new band, enlisted Plant, who in turn recommended John.

Hesitant at first, John eventually agreed to join, and with John Paul Jones in the fold, Led Zeppelin was born, along with Rock n' Roll's arguably most powerful rhythm section of all time. An extremely precise drummer (when necessary) with a triphammer bass pedal style, John used the heaviest sticks available (his "trees") to achieve his legendary powerhouse sound, yet would often use his bare hands during his solos.

Unfortunately, he drank as hard as he played, and had battled alcoholism for quite some time. On September 24, 1980, after a long day of rehearsals and drinking, John was taken to his room by the band's tour manager, and was found dead the next day by bandmate John Paul Jones. John was cremated at Rushock Parish Church in Worcestershire, England, on October 12.

While he was ultimately considered irreplaceable by the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, his son Jason, an excellent drummer in his own right, took his father's place for a reunion gig in 2007.

Answer: Gene Krupa

Gene Krupa (b. January 15, 1909) actually started his music career in grade school playing the saxophone, but switched over to drums at eleven. He began gigging in local bands in Wisconsin in the early 1920s, and began to record in 1927. It was during this time that he began to make his mark as a soloist, proving that the drums could be an interactive part of a band, and not just a background instrument. Gene also collaborated with H.H. Slingerland to design tunable toms, as well as with Avedis Zildjian to create the modern hi-hat cymbal setup that is still used today, compared to the floor level, strictly foot operated version that was in use at the time. Gene made history during his first recording session by being the first drummer to record using a bass drum. He moved to New York in 1929, where he would meet Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller while playing in the "pit band" for several George Gershwin plays. Gene eventually joined Goodman's band in 1934, and his performance on "Sing, Sing, Sing" is recognized as jazz's first extended drum solo. After leaving Goodman in 1938 because of "artistic differences", Gene toured and recorded with his own orchestras until a heart attack in 1960 led him to retire for awhile, but he rebounded during the mid-60s. However, health problems, including leukemia and emphysema, continued to plague him, and Gene died three months after his last public performance. He is buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Calumet City, Illinois.

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