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Like so many I first heard Buddy Rich when growing up as young drummer in the 70's. I bought every album of his I could find, taped recorded his guest appearances on the Johnny Carson show and was inspired to practice and practice every day trying to play like him. Throughout high school in Madison WI., I saw him perform several times but never got to meet him. By my junior year I saved enough money to purchase my own 1975 Buddy Rich Slingerland Drum Set and even painted my drums cases with the exact same lettering Buddy had on the cover of his "Buddy and Soul" album.
In 1978, with my college jazz ensemble, I had the opportunity to play a short warm up set on my Slingerlands prior to the start of Buddy's performance in Madison. I was faced with the dilemma of being on same stage as Buddy with an exact identical drum set to his including his characteristic base drum logo (but with my initials). Not wanting to be pretentious, I desperately swapped out my matching drum throne, the right side crash cymbal, the second floor tom (with white towel that Buddy ended up borrowing) and the center splash cymbal, trying to make my drums look as different from his as possible. During my band's 20 minute set Buddy stood off stage about 15 feet to the side of me and watched the whole time we performed. We visually acknowledged each other just prior to the first down beat and I acknowledged him again at the end of the set. His went on to play an amazing performance and after the show I once again missed an opportunity to actually meet him. However, the next day at jazz ensemble class my band director sat me down and said he had some thing to tell me. After the concert he and Buddy were hanging out and Buddy said he was "impressed" with the college jazz band and my playing. Then my band director told Buddy that I was "his number one fan" and Buddy replied. "Yeah he has a drum set just like mine". My band director gave me back the towel Buddy had borrowed and a large Buddy Rich Band Concert promotion poster and said "Buddy left this for you". It was signed "To Tom Best Wishes Buddy Rich".
Thirty years later I still have the poster, laminated for protection, hanging on the wall above my drums in my practice studio. Buddy Rich inspires me everyday. He is not only the world's greatest drummer, but Buddy had a heart of gold. I will never ever forget what he did for me.
Thanks Buddy
- Tom Jedynak.
I was 13 in 1980 when my band instructor played a Buddy
Rich record for me. From then on I was and still am a
fan. Buddy played frequent shows in the southwest Ohio
area and I would beg my parents to take me whenever he
arrived. In high school my friends and I would drive for
hours to catch his show. We lived in Cincinnati and would
drive to Columbus and Dayton, anywhere to see him. Since
we were not of age to be in clubs we would sneak, beg,
and use whatever it took to get in. After one show in
Dayton, Ohio we sat around long after the last note watching
the band pack up when Buddy himself approached us and
asked if we would be roadies for a few minutes. For the
next 10 minutes we helped load the bus. I was in awe of
him yet he smiled wide at us asking how we liked the show.
He let us on the bus and signed some of my albums. To
this day I remember him saying "You got 'em all kid" smiling
wide, I was thrilled. I remember a warm kind man who took
time for a couple of 16 year old kids. Buddy died when
I was 20 - still too young to go into clubs to see him.
I am so glad to have seen him. ~Joe Foster
In 1974 Buddy performed at my small college alma mater
in West Virginia and also gave a clinic the afternoon
before. During the clinic this guy with a huge afro somehow
got to sit down behind the kit while Buddy watched him
play. The guy mentioned he was studying percussion at
West Virginia University and had somewhat of a smartass
attitude when talking to Buddy. Buddy was patient though,
until the guy asked him, "How do you get such good bounce
with your sticks on your roll?"....Buddy said, "Your hands
control the roll, not your sticks." So the guy says, "Nobody
can play a roll with just their hands!" and Buddy says,
"Oooohh really!! Got five bucks?" That pretty much shut
the guy's mouth, he got off the drumset and Buddy played
for about 10 minutes and got a standing ovation at the
clinic.
On the evening of the performance the placed was packed.
Unfortunately, our small campus at that time did not have
the benefit of a large concert hall, so all performances
were in the Methodist Chapel. The band was already seated
and right when Buddy was walking out to sit down, an announcement
was made to not smoke. So there's Buddy ...UP IN THE PULPIT!!...smokin'
and looking down on this kid making the announcement,
with that half scoul/half grin he had, he jumps down and
takes the cigarette and stomps it out right there....and
says "Let's play this and get the hell outta here!" The
more pious in the audience were 'ooing' and 'aahhing'
and saying 'oh my' or whatever. As was usual for Mr. Rich
he absolutely tore it up with a two set performance that
had both Channel One and West Side. At the end, when his
ovation applause finally subsided, he asked where "Charlie
Hair" was...referring to guy with the 'fro' from the clinic.....
Take no prisoners!! What an incredible performer he was.
It was in the mid 70's and Buddy was playing at Glassboro
State Collage in NJ. Well they were having problems with
the sound. Buddy kept yelling down to the sound tech to
get it together. Anyway he was in the middle of a tune
when he just got really mad. He stopped in the middle
of the song and went down to the mic and told the sound
tech to leave it loud; "I like it loud everybody
likes loud." The entire place was in an uproar it
was so funny. The sound tech just walked away. Buddy went
back to his drums and bl3w everybody away.
- Buz Marino
1976. Disneyland. 'Carnation' venue. Being all of 12-years-old, I visited Disneyland in southern California and stumbled upon Buddy and his band playing at the "Carnation" stage. All the younger kids sat on the floor right in front of the stage and the parents occupied the tables or stood behind us. At this point in my life my main musical influences were the Beatles, America, Chicago, and the Beach Boys. Jazz/Big Band was foreign to me.
So, there I was, sitting and staring at this guy behind the drums. I do not recall the other members of the band because I was mesmerized by Buddy and what he could do to a drum set. I had never really thought of a drummer being so important to a band before, but now I knew the importance of a great drummer to his band.
From that day forward I wanted to be a drummer and still am to this day, all because of one encounter with Buddy. I do not play professional, nor have I ever played professionally. But I do love the art of drumming, I use Buddy as the reference standard of what perfection can be, and I will always have a love of drumming because of your dad.
And also because of Buddy I now have an admiration for those drummers that really stick out above the rest (Carl, Neil, Steve Weckel, Keith Moon, John Bonham, etc). I have gone on to influence kids locally because they too are introduced to Buddy via recordings, videos, and my passion when I talk about him.
All because of my encounter with Buddy on a sunny afternoon
in Disneyland! ~Michael S. Maxwell
Buddy was hosting a drum clinic, I think the name of the
school was Falls Church HS, VA. It was probably 1969-70.
My friend Charlie and I went cause his mom told us about
it. That was the way that kind of thing always went; anyone
that heard the name Buddy Rich would tell Charlie or me.
Anyway, the auditorium had lots of people as I recall.
There was Buddy's Setup on the stage, so awesome. He had,
I think it was, a horn player and a bass player, maybe
someone else; don't remember to clearly about that part.
Charlie told me to look stage right, just in site; Buddy
Rich, standing there in a full length light brown dress
coat. He had a cigarette. It was crazy cool! Anyway, Charlie
and I were like two idiots. But, it was very elegant.
So Buddy, and my memory is a little hazy on this, begins
to talk about his drumming technique. It's going great!
I love it, Charlie loves it. Some old man just yelled
out loud, "I could've listened to this *^*&^ on the radio.
I'm gonna go have a beer." And he leaves. Anyway, Buddy's
speaking and states that bad technique and you're outta
business as you get older. So Buddy says, "Like that guy
that left." A lady says, 'Why don't you tell him?" and
Buddy says, "Role 'em back in." But, aside from that poor
man that should not have been there anyway, and probably
the lady too; Buddy brought the place down. I will say,
he was angry that day. And everyone knew it. But when
he picked up his sticks to get behind the kit, it was
all entertainment and excitement. The final thing I want
to say is he invited anyone that would so desire, to sit
down behind his set and do their thing. Buddy would give
his advice. One young guy did sit behind Buddy's set.
The kid played a few licks with the band members and it
was good. Better than me, for sure. Buddy says, "At least
he can keep time." And, in fact, it was the sort of riff
that was tricky like that. If I could do it over, in my
current mindset, I would've taken a shot at it myself.
~Byron
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