A Rhythmic Giant Gone.

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  • Speedbag
    Author of the Speed Bag Bible, founder of speedbagcentral.com

    • Feb 2006
    • 7109

    A Rhythmic Giant Gone.

    For all who love "the beat" and know the history of Drums, drumming and drummers, then you know the great sadness of the passing of a master drummer, Louie Bellson on Saturday February 14. This man was a legend in the percussion world. notice this part: (...At age 15, he pioneered the double-bass drum set-up. His detailed sketch earned him an 'A' in his high school art class. At age 17, he triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the Slingerland National Gene Krupa contest) Every drummer that kicks a double bass set has Bellson to thank.

    As a young drummer in the 1960's he was an inspiration to me and I had the honor to see him twice live and speak with him for a few minutes after his performance at Baylor University.

    As a simple tribute, enjoy these few links.

    Solo 1957

    DrummerWorld

    Johnny Carson Show

    Solo 1980

    University of Illinois 1981 (* note the brush work from 3:00 - 5:09 .)



    R.I.P. to a great drummer and fine human being.
    Last edited by Speedbag; 02-22-2009, 11:47 PM.
    Speed Bag

    Put a little Rhythm in YOUR workout!
    *attendee: Every SB gathering so far!
    The Quest Continues...
    Hoping for another Gathering...


    sigpic

    The Art of the Bag
  • spinsmashpop
    Speed Bag Wizard

    • Nov 2008
    • 1081

    #2
    Originally posted by Speedbag View Post
    For all who love "the beat" and know the history of Drums, drumming and drummers, then you know the great sadness of the passing of a master drummer, Louie Bellson on Saturday February 14. This man was a legend in the percussion world. notice this part: (...At age 15, he pioneered the double-bass drum set-up. His detailed sketch earned him an 'A' in his high school art class. At age 17, he triumphed over 40,000 drummers to win the Slingerland National Gene Krupa contest) Every drummer that kicks a double bass set has Bellson to thank.

    As a young drummer in the 1960's he was an inspiration to me and I had the honor to see him twice live and speak with him for a few minutes after his performance at Baylor University.

    As a simple tribute, enjoy these few links.

    Solo 1957

    DrummerWorld

    Johnny Carson Show

    Solo 1980

    University of Illinois 1981 (* note the brush work from 3:00 - 5:09 .)



    R.I.P. to a great drummer and fine human being.
    Wow! Thanks Speedbag.... I have been away from all news mediums this weekend and had no idea! I actually think it's way beyond coincidental that I would hear of this news first here on the Speed Bag Forum of all places...I guess paths of people intersect in the most unique of ways sometimes. C'mon, I'm a drummer. I talk to musicians all day long and didn't hear a word of this until now.... very interesting to me.....
    Anyhow, Speedbag said it all..... Bellson is a drumming legend icon. The double bass kit is directly credited to him by anyone who knows anything about drums. I think popularity-wise, he was part of the big 3. Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and Louie Bellson. I know there were other great drummers back in the day. There were tons. There are always tons. But, like in any genre', there are always those certain few that made a mark, stuck out, and are never forgotten about. Bellson's name and mightiness as a drumming legend has been in my brain since I first started 30 years ago....
    As a Berklee music college student back in the late 80's in Boston, some of us got the opportunity to take a sort of field trip to Zildjian Cymbals and take a tour of their cymbal making facility. It was pretty awesome in and of itself to see how they actually make cymbals. There were literally thousands of them in a vault where they line them to be shipped out to the stores. At Zildjian they also have one of Buddy Rich's drumsets. All very cool to check out as a 18-19 year old drummer. And I have always used Zildian and have endorsed them now for 20 years....
    Anyhow, I don't know how it all ended up this way, but it did. Along for the tour was none other than Louie Bellson. He walked around with us, sat and ate lunch with all of us and told stories. I don't remember a word of it because the whole experience was too much for me the time! So there's my little brush with greatness. I haven't thought about that since it back then! Crazy....
    So check out the clips Speedbag has posted. I am about to now.
    DRUM ON!

    Comment

    • Speedbag
      Author of the Speed Bag Bible, founder of speedbagcentral.com

      • Feb 2006
      • 7109

      #3
      Originally posted by spinsmashpop View Post
      Wow! Thanks Speedbag.... I have been away from all news mediums this weekend and had no idea! I actually think it's way beyond coincidental that I would hear of this news first here on the Speed Bag Forum of all places...I guess paths of people intersect in the most unique of ways sometimes. C'mon, I'm a drummer. I talk to musicians all day long and didn't hear a word of this until now.... very interesting to me.....
      Anyhow, Speedbag said it all..... Bellson is a drumming legend icon. The double bass kit is directly credited to him by anyone who knows anything about drums. I think popularity-wise, he was part of the big 3. Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa and Louie Bellson. I know there were other great drummers back in the day. There were tons. There are always tons. But, like in any genre', there are always those certain few that made a mark, stuck out, and are never forgotten about. Bellson's name and mightiness as a drumming legend has been in my brain since I first started 30 years ago....
      As a Berklee music college student back in the late 80's in Boston, some of us got the opportunity to take a sort of field trip to Zildjian Cymbals and take a tour of their cymbal making facility. It was pretty awesome in and of itself to see how they actually make cymbals. There were literally thousands of them in a vault where they line them to be shipped out to the stores. At Zildjian they also have one of Buddy Rich's drumsets. All very cool to check out as a 18-19 year old drummer. And I have always used Zildian and have endorsed them now for 20 years....
      Anyhow, I don't know how it all ended up this way, but it did. Along for the tour was none other than Louie Bellson. He walked around with us, sat and ate lunch with all of us and told stories. I don't remember a word of it because the whole experience was too much for me the time! So there's my little brush with greatness. I haven't thought about that since it back then! Crazy....
      So check out the clips Speedbag has posted. I am about to now.
      DRUM ON!
      I kinda figured you had met him somewhere in your drumming past. He would go to colleges and play with the college jazz bands, not just bring his own. He let other musicians share the stage and thousands of students got to play with a legend. At Baylor, they threw out the most unreal version of Sing, Sing, Sing. He and the student drummer were simply killer. I saw Buddy Rich also. My mother and Dad saw Krupa several times, since they lived in NYC during the Big Band hey day and I was raised on that music.
      Speed Bag

      Put a little Rhythm in YOUR workout!
      *attendee: Every SB gathering so far!
      The Quest Continues...
      Hoping for another Gathering...


      sigpic

      The Art of the Bag

      Comment

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