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Memories of a Birmingham Musician (Drummer)!

A great singer and he reached the age of 90. Not sure how many singers there are left who have reached that age. Doris Day, Vera Lynn, others---? R.I.P. Buddy. Dave
 
There is still Tony Bennett, but after that, they are about the only two left Dave, from an era of great songs, and wonderful talent.

Eddie
 
Eddie,

You're also forgetting an excellent pianist & songwriter, Michel Legrand, who is 84. I didn't realise that Howard Rumsey, the bass player who organised the Jazz at the Lighthouse in the 1950s had died in July 2015 aged 97. Some who've been out of the business for a few years drop below the radar. Having said that, there aren't many who are over the age of 80 now who are still performing.

Maurice
 
Following the sad death of Debbie Reynolds (aged 84) at the end of last year, I looked up some of the other actresses/singers who took up starring roles in Hollywood musicals of the 1950s. Still with us today are Mitzi Gaynor (85) who starred in South Pacific (1958); my favourite, Shirley Jones (82) who was in Oklahoma (1955), Carousel (1958) and The Music Man (1962); and also Jane Powell (87) who was the lead bride in Seven Brides and Seven Brothers (1954). Dave.
 
And there are probably several more too, Dave. I get most of the musicians from one of the keyboard forums that I use. As most of the member of that are Americans they tend to get the lesser known ones from the local press announcements before the international press does, particularly composers and songwriters. but even they miss the occasional one.

Maurice
 
sospiri said:
But someone has already done much of this work for us here:-

https://www.ihopeidiebeforeigetold.com/oldest-living-rock-stars.php

Maurice
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That is great Maurice. Wonderful names from the world of entertainment. Ray Anthony still around, What a great trumpet player he was, and Joe Porcaro, the drummer father of drummer Jeff Porcaro, (TOTO), who died so suddenly. Vic Damone, a great singer. Such a talented list..

Makes me feel a little happier to see so many still surviving.

Eddie
 
And so many nearly hitting the century too, Eddie. It certainly gladdens your heart. Glad to see Herb Alpert still playing, and playing well, too - he'll be 82 at the end of March and I find that difficult to believe, but it's true. It also struck me the other day that you are trying to turn history on its head by learning piano having spent a lifetime as a drummer. Many drummers, Jack De Johnette for instance (who originally learned piano), started out playing a melody instrument first. Good luck to you.

Maurice
 
Thanks Maurice. Everything going well, and never practice for less than one hour each day. Thoroughly enjoying it.

Going back to Ray Anthony, he featured, alongside Billy May, in the trumpet section of the pre war Glenn Miller Band. I seem to recall that they appeared, with Glenn's band , in the film "Sun Valley Serenade"

Ray Anthony was also married to blonde bombshell film actress, Mamie Van Doren, and has still made it to 94!!!

Eddie
 
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Eddie,

I had to check that because I don't have your phenomenal memory, but once again IMDB says you are spot on! The individual members of the orchestra, which also included Tex Beneke, were not credited, but IMDB gives a long list of musicians and actors in small parts that were not named in the onscreen credits. It's nice that someone records that history for future generations.

Maurice
 
Have just come across this nice coloured photograph of Brian Bennett, playing the drum kit that he used on the Eurovision Song Contest, with The Shadows. It is of the cover of a Shadows LP "Live at Olympia, Paris"

I think I have already told this story, but Brian asked me to come up with a great looking drum kit for the Euro Song Contest.....Something different, that would stand out.

Knowing that Brian loved the artist, Aubrey Beardsley, I came up with this kit, emblazoned with Beardsley type work, and the whole kit was finished in pink. The bass drum head was really special, and I used a very good artist, in Leicester.

When I recently met up with Brian, he told me that the bass drum head now adorns a wall in his home, and confirmed that the drum kit is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, in London.

Also a B/W photograph, taken at the time, really showing off the lovely bass drum head.

Nice to know that a bit of my hard Hark will be around for a few years, for folk to see.
 

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Two even better photographs of Brian Bennett's kit. I really love the colour in the bass drum head that I had designed for him. Beautiful artwork.

Eddie
 

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On a not so happy note, Butch Trucks, drummer with the Allman Brothers, has died at the age of 69. Apparently he shot himself in the head yesterday. R.I.P. Butch.

It sounds as though the tax man was hounding him and he was also drinking a drop too much wine,

Maurice
 

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Yet another - bassist and vocalist John Wetton died in his sleep this morning after a long battle with colon cancer. I met him quite a few years ago now when he was a young man. R.I.P. John.

Maurice
 

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sospiri said:
Yet another - bassist and vocalist John Wetton died in his sleep this morning after a long battle with colon cancer. I met him quite a few years ago now when he was a young man. R.I.P. John.

Maurice
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Yes Maurice. News came out today. He worked with Birmingham's own Carl Palmer, in the super group ASIA. I believe that he also came from Bournemouth, your old stomping ground.

Very sad.

R.I.P. John Wetton.

Eddie
 
Eddie,

He was actually born in Derbyshire, but brought up in Bournemouth and I first met him via the vocalist I was working with at the time - they went to school together. But there were a lot of other connections too, because he worked with Uriah Heep and their drummer. Lee Kerslake, is another Bournemouth guy who went to school with my last drummer, Jeff Griffin. John also worked with King Crimson, and both Robert Fripp and I worked in the same band, but at different times, although we knew each other. John also worked with Yes and subsequently formed UK with Rick Wakeman. So sorry to see John go as he was a nice guy.

Maurice
 
Got to meet John in New Jersey a couple of years ago. He did some King Crimson tunes with a bunch of youngsters from Chicago called District 97. He was a dedicated prog rocker with an amazing voice, a powerful bass player and a very talented song writer and arranger. He was also a very nice guy that battled alcohol addiction and won, heart problems and won, but lost to cancer. Not to pick you apart Maurice but John did not work with Yes or form UK with Rick Wakeman. He formed Asia with Steve Howe of Yes, Carl Palmer of ELP & Geoff Downes of the Buggles. UK was first formed with JW,Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth and Eddie Jobson. They later became a trio of Wetton, Jobson & Terry Bozzio. I have to admit to shedding a few tears this morning for John while listening to Heat of the Moment.
 
Dave,

My apologies - the Rick Wakeman bit came by way of a badly punctuated article from Rolling Stone. Get the punctuation right and it reads that he failed to form a group with Wakeman so formed UK with Bill Bruford amongst others. I must admit that I am not a rock or pop addict - far too noisy for me - and in the 1970s I was involved with jazz, arranging, and commercial work. I will admit to accompanying my bass player to three Yes concerts, but it's not really my thing and I can't honestly remember much about them. I remember that "Roundabout" rocked nicely, but was quite disappointed listening to it many years later!

Maurice
 
adap2it said:
Got to meet John in New Jersey a couple of years ago. He did some King Crimson tunes with a bunch of youngsters from Chicago called District 97. He was a dedicated prog rocker with an amazing voice, a powerful bass player and a very talented song writer and arranger. He was also a very nice guy that battled alcohol addiction and won, heart problems and won, but lost to cancer. Not to pick you apart Maurice but John did not work with Yes or form UK with Rick Wakeman. He formed Asia with Steve Howe of Yes, Carl Palmer of ELP & Geoff Downes of the Buggles. UK was first formed with JW,Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth and Eddie Jobson. They later became a trio of Wetton, Jobson & Terry Bozzio. I have to admit to shedding a few tears this morning for John while listening to Heat of the Moment.
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Hey Dave MSA Did I ever ask you about that?
 
sospiri said:
Dave,

My apologies - the Rick Wakeman bit came by way of a badly punctuated article from Rolling Stone. Get the punctuation right and it reads that he failed to form a group with Wakeman so formed UK with Bill Bruford amongst others. I must admit that I am not a rock or pop addict - far too noisy for me - and in the 1970s I was involved with jazz, arranging, and commercial work. I will admit to accompanying my bass player to three Yes concerts, but it's not really my thing and I can't honestly remember much about them. I remember that "Roundabout" rocked nicely, but was quite disappointed listening to it many years later!

Maurice
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No need for apologies Maurice, I'm still in awe of your credentials...OTOH, I was listening to jazz before I got into Prog Rock and soon realized that this was more suited to my tastes and not my fathers...
 
norfolk brummie said:
Sorry Maurice,

I did know about Randy's passing...just forgot to place a tribute on this website.

I knew Randy in the late sixties/early seventies, when he was working with the Maynard Ferguson Band, and we were both endorsing Hayman drums. I lost touch with him after he left for the States, but followed his years with Dave Brubeck.

A lovely guy, and a wonderful drummer. Sadly missed.

I always felt very honoured to be classed with some of the great drummers of the day.
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Was he the Drummer on Live At Jimmys, MacArthur Park. With the new vogue of my favourite Reecord at funerals I have left strict instructions to go in to Ferguson and MacArthur Park, Miles Davis and his version of the Aranjez halfway through, the composer Señor Rodriguez can argue with me when we meet, as he only liked it played on the guitar and out to any thing by Chico Hamilton Quintet, I suppose under the circumstances The Sweet Smell of Success would be apt.

Bob Davis
 
Bob. Thanks for bringing this thread back on track!

Chico Hamilton was one of the finest of jazz drummers. His brush work, (instead of using sticks), was well recognized, and the sound track from the Burt Lancaster/Tony Curtis film, The Sweet Smell of Success, was a fine example of his work, music courtesy of Elmer Bernstein.

Sadly, one of my two great drum hero's that I never met. The other being Max Roach.

Although I knew Randy Jones, and that he worked with the 'Strainhard' Ferguson Band, I have no idea about MacArthur Park. However, Randy did work with Richard Harris, when Randy was a session drummer, before he left for the States.

Eddie
 
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norfolk brummie said:
Bob. Thanks for bringing this thread back on track!

Chico Hamilton was one of the finest of jazz drummers. His brush work, (instead of using sticks), was well recognized, and the sound track from the Burt Lancaster/Tony Curtis film, The Sweet Smell of Success, was a fine example of his work, music courtesy of Elmer Bernstein.

Sadly, one of my two great drum hero's that I never met. The other being Max Roach.

Although I knew Randy Jones, and that he worked with the 'Strainhard' Ferguson Band, I have no idea about MacArthur Park.

Eddie
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Eddie
Having disposed of all my vinyls, about 200 records Sinatra, sammy Davis, HiLos, Four Freshmen and countless Jazz Groups, I have been able to replace them through the Avid Record releases including a four LP -CD of Chico Hamilton including of course his great Drums West. But the two great events of my youth was the Dublin concert by Kenton Pete somebody on drums and not many of the original great names in the Band, but my goodness what a sound. This was only bettered when serving with the RASC in Minden in 1956 we managed to get to Hamburg to see JAT
P. With Krupa among the drummers, no battle of the drums, but Drum Boogie....what a magnificent day. As a drummer bearing in mind all the great drummers American and English, Krupa, Rich, Manne, Bellson, Hamilton, Parnell, Seaman and Ted Heaths drummer whose name I have forgotten, after yourself of course who was the king?
 
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