Hal Blaine
Biography
Biography
Widely regarded as one of the most prolific drummers in history, Wrecking Crew founder Hal Blaine lent his considerable talents to 50 number one hits, a staggering 35,000 pieces of music and six consecutive Record of the Year Grammy winners during a 20-year period in which he worked with everyone from Elvis Presley to Frank Sinatra to John Lennon. Born in Holyoke, MA in 1929, Blaine first picked up the sticks aged twelve and began performing in a drum and bugle corps before moving to Chicago where he studied under Gene Krupa's teacher, Roy Knapp. Following stints in Count Basie's orchestra and various other big bands, Blaine made the transition to rock n' roll when he joined teen idol Tommy Sands' backing group, The Raiders, in the late 50s, and subsequently became a regular presence on the Los Angeles session musician scene. Responsible for coining the name The Wrecking Crew -- a bunch of younger musicians who the older generation of studio pros believed would 'wreck the industry' -- Blaine went onto appear on some of the most iconic hits of the '60s, including The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," The Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man" and The Ronettes' "Be My Baby." Blaine also played on major pop hits for the likes of Dean Martin ("Everybody Loves Somebody"), Sonny & Cher ("I Got You Babe") and The Mamas & The Papas ("Monday Monday"). He also played on the majority of Elvis Presley's movie soundtracks, while his contribution to Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' "A Taste Of Honey" kickstarted a record-breaking run of six consecutive Record of the Year Grammy winners on which he drummed, which finished with Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in 1971. Blaine released several instrumental LPs under his own name during the 1960s, but it was as a session musician where Blaine's skills flourished. He continued to make his mark throughout the following decade by performing on number one hits by the likes of Neil Diamond ("Cracklin' Rosie," "Song Sung Blue"), The Carpenters ("They Long To Be (Close To You)," "Top Of The World") and John Denver ("Annie's Song," "Thank God I'm A Country Boy)" and working with John Lennon on the former Beatle's covers album Rock N' Roll. After retiring from session work, Blaine published his autobiography, Hal Blaine and the Wrecking Crew, in 1990 and went onto teach a new generation of sticksmen through various drum shows and clinics.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Life Events
