Drumming's Biggest Crab Apples: A Top 50 List in Progress

[Pat A Flafla]

Fame is a funny thing.
You want to be noticed ,otherwise you wouldn't be in showbiz,but the negative aspect of rabid zealot fans is the downside.
I was at SFO back in the day to catch a flight,saw Narada Walden and said I dig your drumming.
He was polite,friendly and introduced to to bass player Randy Jackson.
Some folks like the spotlight,some do not.

How do you explain Neil, then? He politely wanted to play drums and then be completely left alone. Nothing wrong with that, AND he wasn't rude about it. And I don't think he owed anyone an insufferable meet and greet, but when he ran into fans despite trying to travel anonymously, I'm told he was very polite, though not very talkative.

 

[backtodrum]

Yes, they don't have to be nice to you, they dont have have to do anything to you - that's why they are judged by it.

I am with you on not judging someone by 1 interaction though. However, if you hear multiple stories about Weckl being a grump or Porcaro being the coolest, the portrait begins to paint itself.

Agree with your take on this. People should be decent no matter what, especially when someone approaches you because they admire you for what ever reason! My mother and father taught me to always be humble and kind to everyone. I remember my mother telling me it was her job to teach me to interact in the world and treat people with respect and kindness. Celebrities should be especially careful to treat people decently it they want to have a long and prosperous career, their image should always be carefully crafted and maintained.

 

[UptownShakedown]

Agree with your take on this. People should be decent no matter what, especially when someone approaches you because they admire you for what ever you reason! My mother and father taught me to always be humble and kind to everyone. I remember my mother telling me it was her job to teach me to interact in the world and treat people with respect and kindness. Celebrities should be especially careful to treat people decently it they want to have a long and prosperous career, their image should always be carefully crafted and maintained.

I work with plenty of celebrities in my professional life and the truth you learn is that the bigger they are, the nicer they are - that's why they're still around. The mid-level and the barely there are the ones that cause problems.

 

[bpaluzzi]

In the end, the dude did less than 4 years in jail or "a year for each child he left fatherless" as Jacos widow recalls.

4 months. His original sentence was 22 months, but he was paroled for good behavior.

 

[UptownShakedown]

4 months. His original sentence was 22 months, but he was paroled for good behavior.

Ah, true - mistype on my part. Pretty big difference!

 

[Pat A Flafla]

Agree with your take on this. People should be decent no matter what, especially when someone approaches you because they admire you for what ever you reason! My mother and father taught me to always be humble and kind to everyone. I remember my mother telling me it was her job to teach me to interact in the world and treat people with respect and kindness. Celebrities should be especially careful to treat people decently it they want to have a long and prosperous career, their image should always be carefully crafted and maintained.

Exactly. When the crazed fan ask his hero to sign both butt cheeks, the celeb owes it to humanity to decline in a polite manner. Then if that sends the fan into a rage, that's why God invented pepper spray and hidden doberman launchers.

 

[backtodrum]

Exactly. When the crazed fan ask his hero to sign both butt cheeks, the celeb owes it to humanity to decline in a polite manner. Then if that sends the fan into a rage, that's why God invented pepper spray and hidden doberman launchers.

lol!

 

[bassanddrum84]

I guess the point is no one owes anyone anything but being a decent human being and respect goes a long way over being a crab apple.

 

[JimmySticks]

I guess the point is no one owes anyone anything but being a decent human being and respect goes a long way over being a crab apple.

Yes and no?

We should always respect somebodies privacy, but dont public figures have a certain responsibility to their fans? Doesn’t that kind of come with the territory? Some stars do it better than others, but all should learn how to handle fans to some degree.

And for the record, I’m not starstruck by anyone.

 

[pgm554]

Well, Carson was more than just nasty when he drank a lot, he was a D-Bag. There are many stories but my fav was when he and Pat Cooper were at the same party and in the rest room at the urinals, Pat says Hey to Carson and Carson turns to Cooper and continues pissing all over Coopers trousers. Never even apologizes. That’s a D-Bag. Gary was never a D-Bag, just very salty.

Joe Namath said he was at a party with a drunk Carson and he slapped one of the Jets linebackers in the face saying you think you're tough?

 

[pgm554]

Carl freaking Palmer.

Apparently he walks on water, just ask him.

My dealing with CP was when I bought his Venus snare and found out it had a well known throw defect from the factory.
I wrote his management,they called Ludwig and asked them WTF.
He was sorry to the point that his management gave me free passes to his
US tour with Yes and Todd Rundgren.
So not quite the ass he is made out to be.

 

[Pat A Flafla]

Yes and no?

We should always respect somebodies privacy, but dont public figures have a certain responsibility to their fans? Doesn’t that kind of come with the territory? Some stars do it better than others, but all should learn how to handle fans to some degree.

And for the record, I’m not starstruck by anyone.

The responsibility is to provide excellent entertainment for the fans' money, and the same responsibility every human being has to be civil to other humans--*not* free autographs and a back rub, or whatever non-musical services people feel "owed." The woman who manages my mutual fund has been doing an excellent job. I might say I'm a fan, but I'm not going to hang around outside her office building and accost her for posed selfies with metal horn-hands. If I wrote her a thank you note, it would be nice if her secretary at least e-forged a "glad you're happy" response within say 4 months. But not a deal breaker. Even if she's rude, she still gets to continue managing some of my retirement money because I approve of her work.

 

[Vistalite Black]

My dealing with CP was when I bought his Venus snare and found out it had a well known throw defect from the factory.
I wrote his management,they called Ludwig and asked them WTF.
He was sorry to the point that his management gave me free passes to his
US tour with Yes and Todd Rundgren.
So not quite the ass he is made out to be.

Here's a great exchange where the interviewer needled Carl Palmer a bit:

Q - According to Irwin Stambler's Encyclopedia Of Rock, in the later years of ELP critics were saying, "How do you spell pretentious? Emerson, Lake And Palmer." Did statements like that make you mad?

A - ... I don't need to be told I'm good. I don't need to be told I'm bad, because I know when I'm good and I know when I'm bad and I know when the band sounds good and if it was pretentious we would have known. It wasn't pretentious because it was forward thinking. He's just getting mixed up in what is pretentious and what is forward thinking ... You could have said we were pretentious using quadrophonic sound, which it wasn't quadrophonic, it was cross stereo based on the joy stick. You could have called that pretentious. Nobody did though. It was quite amazing. The minute you put up a few flags and you jump across the stage, you're called pretentious. So, next question."

Gary James' Interview With Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake and Palmer (classicbands.com)

 

[hawker]

Gene Krupa? Hi reputation was as a sweetie.

That's for sure, never heard a bad word about Gene and when I met him in the 70s he went out of his way to be nice and accommodating. Of course everyone has their bad days, as my wife reminds me.

 

[hawker]

GENE KRUPA’S FBI FILE: SURPRISE. SURPRISE! –UPDATE | Jazz Legends

Thanks for the link, great info.

 

[pgm554]

Here's a great exchange where the interviewer needled Carl Palmer a bit:

Q - According to Irwin Stambler's Encyclopedia Of Rock, in the later years of ELP critics were saying, "How do you spell pretentious? Emerson, Lake And Palmer." Did statements like that make you mad?

A - ... I don't need to be told I'm good. I don't need to be told I'm bad, because I know when I'm good and I know when I'm bad and I know when the band sounds good and if it was pretentious we would have known. It wasn't pretentious because it was forward thinking. He's just getting mixed up in what is pretentious and what is forward thinking ... You could have said we were pretentious using quadrophonic sound, which it wasn't quadrophonic, it was cross stereo based on the joy stick. You could have called that pretentious. Nobody did though. It was quite amazing. The minute you put up a few flags and you jump across the stage, you're called pretentious. So, next question."

Gary James' Interview With Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake and Palmer (classicbands.com)

When Bruford was asked what a drummers job was in a band,he replied somebody that takes their shirt off while ringing a bell with their teeth.

 

[russgold]

I studied with Gary Chester for 3 years and knew him almost 5 years. I hung with him on many occasions; lunches, dinners, drum clinics, outside walks. I loved that man. When he drank though, his tongue let loose with the most cutting of remarks. But aside from that Gary had a heart of gold and I miss him terribly.

Oh man, that’s awesome. I’d love to hear more about that. Legend. Stories please!

 

[russgold]

Got to know her from hanging out at the Kanzaki Lounge in San francisco.
We used to talk about Fibes drums as she had their acrylic snare and i told her how to get spare parts at the time.
I was jealous of her playing ability in that she's probably one of the best female drummers I've ever seen.

Speaking of jerks and the Kanzaki Lounge,Carlos Reyes was jamming with their house band and I got a chance to speak with him,but after about two minutes of conversation ,his "personality" shone through.

Great rock jazz violin player,but what a waste of talent.

With you 100% on the latter

 

[JimmySticks]

The responsibility is to provide excellent entertainment for the fans' money, and the same responsibility every human being has to be civil to other humans--*not* free autographs and a back rub, or whatever non-musical services people feel "owed." The woman who manages my mutual fund has been doing an excellent job. I might say I'm a fan, but I'm not going to hang around outside her office building and accost her for posed selfies with metal horn-hands. If I wrote her a thank you note, it would be nice if her secretary at least e-forged a "glad you're happy" response within say 4 months. But not a deal breaker. Even if she's rude, she still gets to continue managing some of my retirement money because I approve of her work.

There is a huge difference between your money manager and a pro musician, Hollywood stars, sports stars, and entertainers. These public figures feed off of fan energy and vice-a-versa. It’s human nature. We scream and shout and cheer at a concert and we all get caught up in the excitement and energy, including the musician. That doesn’t happen with your money manager, unless she gets you a great return on your investment! Lol.

So if a musician just walks off the stage all stone faced after a killer show and doesn’t play into the audiences energy, it doesn’t work. He/she has to get into it, they have to acknowledge the fans, and yes, they owe them some love back. That’s public life, they need to deal with it, or they’re toast.

 

[Slingwig26]

Johnny Carson was a known [email protected]
Mike Wallace asked about his drinking on 60 Minutes and Carson said he didn't handle it well and that's the reason he quit drinking.

God Bless Johnny! (not mike wallace)