Bob Dylan is regarded as one of the greatest artists of all time and continues to have a significant impact on the music industry. The artist described what a drummer needed to be in his band and named some of his favorite drummers in a 2017 interview with Bill Flanagan.
6 drummers that Bob Dylan listed as some of his favorites
When asked what qualities his drummer should possess, Dylan replied: “Lots of them, Krupa, Elvin Jones, Fred Below, Jimmy Van Eaton, Charlie Watts. I like Casey Dickens, the drummer who played with Bob Wills. There are a lot of great drummers. I like the drummer I have now, he is one of the best around. But if he ever left me for some reason, like to join The Rolling Stones or something, I’d have to replace him.”
He added, “What should the guy avoid? Probably trying to get to know anybody too quick. No big cymbal crashes on the word “kick” in the song “I Get a Kick Out of You.” So the drummer is not the leader. He follows the steady pulse of the song and the rhythmic phrasing. If he does that and keeps it simple, he doesn’t have to avoid anything.”
Gene Krupa
American jazz drummer Gene Krupa was renowned for his exuberance and charisma. His drum solo on Benny Goodman’s 1937 recording of “Sing, Sing, Sing” transformed the drummer’s function in the ensemble from an auxiliary line to a significant solo voice.
He had a significant role in establishing the conventional band drummer’s kit with the Slingerland drum and Zildjian cymbal makers.
Furthermore, he was the first drummer to be admitted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame back in 1978.
Elvin Jones
Jazz drummer Elvin Jones, who was born in 1927 in Pontiac, Michigan, belonged to the post-bop era. Alongside John Coltrane, Teddy Charles, Charles Mingus, Miles Davis, and Bud Powell, he performed with other well-known artists.
The musician’s understanding of timing, dynamics, timbre, and polyrhythms influenced an entire generation of drummers. Among them was Jimi Hendrix’s sideman Mitch Mitchell, who was referred to as “my Elvin Jones” by the guitarist.
Fred Below
The 1950s work that American blues drummer Fred Below did with Little Walter and Chess Records is what made him famous. played the drums for Howlin’ Wolf’s “Spoonful,” Muddy Waters’ “I’m Your Hoochie Cooche Man,” and Chuck Berry’s iconic tune “Johnny B. Goode.”
Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts, widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time, served as The Rolling Stones’ drummer for 58 years until passing away in 2021. He frequently mentioned how much he loved jazz music and cited it as his main inspiration.
The group is among the best-selling musicians of all time having sold more than 200 million records globally.
Jimmy Van Eaton
Jimmy Van Eaton, who was born in 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, is most known for having been the session drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis as well as for having worked with Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, and Ray Smith in the 1950s.
Casey Dickens
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Casey Dickens was the drummer for Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. Bob Wills battled ill health and precarious finances during the 1950s. But even though his older songs lost favor as rock & roll became prominent, he still gave frequent performances. Later in 1962, Wills suffered two more heart attacks in the following year, forcing him to call it quits on the Playboys, even though he was still performing alone. Furthermore, Wills and the Texas Playboys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan, who was born in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, is regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. He has had a significant impact on popular culture throughout the course of his nearly 60-year career. Dylan penned his first poetry at the age of eleven. He also taught himself how to play the guitar and piano as a youngster.
He began singing in rock bands, doing Little Richard and Buddy Holly impressions. However, after being influenced by the music of the renowned folk singer Woody Guthrie, he became interested in folk music when he attended the University of Minnesota in 1959.
The Nobel Prize in Literature was given to Dylan in 2016 “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has sold over 125 million albums worldwide.
At an estimated cost of $300 million, he sold Universal Music his entire composing portfolio in 2020, which included over 600 songs. His compositions spanning more than 60 years are included in the list. including “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’.”
If any of those songs are covered by another performer, the corporation will get payment. will also receive payment for granting permission for the music to be streamed, aired, or sold commercially.