Hal Blaine

From 1949 to 1952, Blaine worked with Roy Knapp to perfect his skills with the drum. Following his teaching, he began his professional career playing overnight sessions in Chicago clubs, which allowed him to work on his sight-reading skills. Due to his frequent club work, he was hired as part of Count Basie’s big band and toured with Patti Page and Tommy Sands before working as a session musician.

Unlike many of his jazz peers, Blaine enjoyed a variety of genres, and this meant he could play in various sessions during the 1950s. During the 1960s, he was a core member of The Wrecking Crew. During this time, he had claimed to invent the band name due to their destructive force in the studio environment.

From the 1980s onwards, Blaine played less session work like computers, and electronic instruments were gaining popularity in studios. The popularization of the drum machine made the session drummer obsolete, but Blaine found contentment in recording advertising jingles.

During his time as a session musician, he made over 35,000 recordings and 6,000 singles. He is regarded as one of the most in-demand drummers in rock and roll history. Blaine passed away on March 11th 2019, with Ringo Starr and Brian Wilson praising Blaine’s talent and legacy.