Drummers

Tim "Herb" Alexander

Cherry Point, N.C., has seen its share of jets ascend from its famed Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station. It also was the launching pad of a soaring percussion career as the hometown of Primus rocker Tim Alexander, who was born in that city on April 10, 1965.

Alexander says he was inspired to become a drummer by the work of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and Rush drummer Neil Peart. But as his most noted band’s name might suggest, Alexander’s style is often a more primal beat, seemingly derived from African influences.

Before Primus, Alexander performed with Major Lingo, a ska-based rhythm band. Primus was formed in 1984 by singer/bassist Les Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, who often worked with only a drum machine for the beat. After a succession of live drummers came and went, Alexander was recruited to the funk-metal group in 1989, helping drive the three-man band to some of its greatest musical and commercial success.

Alexander played on the Primus albums “Suck On This,” “Fizzle Fry,” “Sailing the Seas of Cheese” (which included the MTV hit “Johnny Was a Race Car Driver”), “Miscellaneous Debris,” “Pork Soda” and “Tales From the Punchbowl,” the latter featuring the group’s most successful single, Grammy-nominated “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver.” Alexander left the band in 1996, but returned for the 2003 EP “Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People.”

In Alexander’s absence, Primus’ drum kit was manned by Brian “Brain” Mantia, who, like Alexander, had originally auditioned for the gig in 1989.

While away from Primus, Alexander became the first drummer for the group A Perfect Circle, formed by guitarist Billy Howerdel and fronted by Tool singer Maynard James Keenan (who wore wigs to distinguish this work from his shaved-bald persona with Tool). But Alexander didn’t stay with A Perfect Circle for long, performing only some introductory live shows and laying down drum tracks for the single “The Hollow” on the group’s debut album “Mer de Noms” before moving on.

Other Alexander work includes percussion appearances with the performance art troupe Blue Man Group and recordings with an experimental group, Fata Morgana. Alexander also has played in the indie band Laundry, recorded with experimental bassist Michael Manring and the associated Attention Deficit project, and occasionally appeared with Las Vegas-based improvisational rock group Uberschall, which includes other past and present Blue Men and members of the Blue Man Group’s bands.