Drummers typically sit at the back part of a stage and only provide rhythmic backing to songs. Some drummers take it to a new level and provide vocals as well, though.
Singing drummers are a rare breed, but there are some very popular ones that have nailed the art of playing drums while singing at the same time.
Here’s a short list of some of the best singing drummers to check out.
Phil Collins is arguably the most popular singing drummer in the world. He doesn’t play drums too much anymore due to having back issues, but he was a force to be reckoned with in his prime.
He wrote and performed so many hit songs behind the drum kit. He was the drummer for Genesis for years, and he also performed under his own name often.
Something else to mention about him that’s interesting is that he’s left-handed. This makes him even more rare as a drummer.
Don Henley is one of the main vocalists for The Eagles. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, playing both drums and guitar. He played drums often in the band’s earlier days.
He’d sing lead lines while playing drums, which was always very impressive. However, many of the vocal parts of the band were shared between different members.
Don has a highly successful solo career where he sings and plays guitars. He only plays drums occasionally these days.
Ringo Starr is arguably the most well-known drummer on this list. Paul McCartney and John Lennon were the main vocalists in The Beatles, but Ringo would sing backup lines. Occasionally, he’d have the lead vocal part in a few songs.
Ringo has had a successful solo career where he’s taken the role of frontman. He doesn’t play drums too often with that project, rather getting other drummers to fill the role.
Anderson. Paak is a modern drummer that plays the kit and sings at the same time. He’s a hip-hop artist, and he’s one of the few musicians in that world that performs like this.
He also does a bit of work with Bruno Mars in a group they formed known as Silk Sonic.
Rapping and drumming can be quite tricky, and that’s what makes his performances even more impressive.
Dave Grohl first hit the world stage as the drummer for Nirvana. The band split up after Kurt Cobain’s death, and he later formed Foo Fighters. He plays the guitar and sings in Foo Fighters, but he’s been part of a few other projects where he plays drums and provides backing vocals.
Sheila E. Has been a top-tier performer for decades. She made it big when drumming for Prince, but she’s had her own solo career where she plays percussion and sings at the same time.
She was particularly big in the 80s with her solo performing career. She still regularly performs these days as well.
Roger Taylor was the man behind the kit in Queen. The band was hugely famous, and Roger Taylor helped write and sing many of the songs.
Like most of the drummers on this list, he had a solo career apart from the band where he mainly sang instead of played drums.
The great thing about Roger’s drumming is that it’s very musical. Everything he plays is designed to serve the music in the best way possible.
Aaron Gillespie is one of the few metal drummers that sings and drums at the same time. He provides the backing vocals for Underoath, but he’s also an accomplished solo singer himself.
The most impressive thing about him is his ability to sing comfortably while playing intense drum parts.
All the singers we mentioned play a wide range of musical styles on the drums. You would have seen that most of them have solo singing careers where they don’t play drums, as that tends to be the common trend.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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