Once he’d graduated high school and was free to test out the world, Dave Weckl didn’t waste much time becoming an accomplished percussionist. Born Jan. 8, 1960, Weckl graduated from Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, Mo., in 1978. He was quickly off to the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, where he majored in [...]

From a drumming family and with an enviable resume, Chad Wackerman continues to leave his own unique mark on the music world. Wackerman was born March 25, 1960, in Long Beach, Calif. His father, Chuck, was director of the Los Alamitos High School Band. Chad’s also the older brother of Brooks Wackerman, who’s been a [...]

Tony Verderosa is a technological genius with percussion. Widely considered a leading authority on live sample triggering and electronic drumming, Verderosa has spent years perfecting his one-man, live techno concept that originated in New York City’s underground music scene. He’s released records on his own New York-based label, Thwak!, and also has issued three videos [...]

Glen Velez has shaped the percussion world with the artistry of his own hands. Velez, of Mexican-American ancestry, grew up on Texas, but moved to New York City in the late 1960s. He began his percussion career playing on a jazz drum set, but soon felt himself drawn to hand drums from around the world [...]

As a youth, Lars Ulrich swung a mean tennis racket. But he swung even better drumsticks. Born the day after Christmas, 1963, in Gentofte, Denmark, Ulrich was the son of Torben Ulrich, an accomplished tennis pro from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. Lars was a quite a prodigy in the sport and at [...]

Chester Thompson has a name in common with another musician, but a talent for the drums that is quite uncommon. Born Chester Cortez Thompson on Dec. 11, 1948, in Baltimore, Md., he isn’t to be confused with Chester Thompson who is noteworthy as the keyboardist for Santana. The drumming Chester Thompson first made a name [...]

A New York drummer with a talent for thrash metal, John Tempesta has played his way through a number of the world’s more notable – and heavier – rock bands. Born Aug. 19, 1963, in New York City, Tempesta grew up in the Bronx. He was inspired to play the drums after watching the classic [...]

Bill Stewart was probably destined to be a musician, but he found his way to the percussion section rather than the low brass. Born William Harris Stewart on Oct. 18, 1966, in Des Moines, Iowa, his first and middle names were his father’s homage to a great jazz trombonist, Bill Harris. Stewart’s father was a [...]

Born on July 7, 1940, on Madryn Street in Toxteth, Wales, Richard Starkey Jr. would become a household name – as Ringo Starr, drummer of The Beatles. But so far as rock music fame goes, you know it don’t come easy. Starkey’s parents divorced when he was just 3 years old. He was raised in [...]

Matt Sorum has played in the biggest arenas and the smallest of smoky bars and dives, and none of them are really big enough to contain his sound. Born Matthew William Sorum on Nov. 19, 1960, in Mission Viejo, Calif., Sorum was already becoming known on the Southern California music scene by his mid-teens. Wearing [...]