Even if you don't recognize the name, you know his sound. He was the world's oldest rock drummer when he pounded the skins for Spirit in the 1960s. At a time when you weren't supposed to trust someone over 30, he was already over 40; at a time when every rock band had hair down to here, he shaved his head; at a time when bands had stripped-down stage hardware, he lurked behind what had to be the world's biggest drum kit.
Watching the geezer procession at the 121212 concert tonight put me in mind of him, and I looked him up. Shock: he died last Thursday in San Jose at the age of 89, still completely bald and still the world's oldest rock drummer.
In case you never knew, he was Randy California's stepfather. RC died in 1997.
He was old enough to have had a jazz career before he got into progressive rock. Art Pepper and Gerry Mulligan were a couple guys he drummed for way back when.
So long, Ed. Thanks for the beats.
"I Got a Line on You."
Watching the geezer procession at the 121212 concert tonight put me in mind of him, and I looked him up. Shock: he died last Thursday in San Jose at the age of 89, still completely bald and still the world's oldest rock drummer.
In case you never knew, he was Randy California's stepfather. RC died in 1997.
He was old enough to have had a jazz career before he got into progressive rock. Art Pepper and Gerry Mulligan were a couple guys he drummed for way back when.
So long, Ed. Thanks for the beats.
"I Got a Line on You."
