When I was 10 years old I was sure I wanted to be Ace Frehley. My dad was already teaching me guitar and I was all about it. One day my buddy came over with a couple of records he had “borrowed” from his older brother’s GF. The records were 2112 and Hemispheres. I was skeptical that this band would be as good as KISS, but he kept saying, “just wait til you hear this drummer.” I was floored and asked my buddy to let me keep those records for a couple of days. Like so many other kids in the 70s and 80s, Neil’s playing inspired me to want to learn how to play drums. Two weeks after my first listen and pleading for drum lessons, my dad took me to a good pawn shop and got my first (of many) drumkits for $60 and found a local teacher.
I fell in love with drumming and played in a number of bands in high school and in my 20s while living in the UK. I never pursued music as a career because I felt like had ability, but not talent. It was always about the fun of playing. The list of drummers that awe me are numerous and varied - I don’t give a shit about who is considered “the best,” whatever that even means to art, but Neil always held a special place in my life for being the inspiration to explore more challenging music and amplify my already fanatical passion for music and those who make it. I’m not sure how many times I saw him perform, but it was somewhere in the 30s before I lost count.
RIP Neil, and thanks for the great words and rhythmic artistry. 🤘