Kenny Aronoff
Main Style: Rock (many)
Main Band: John Cougar Mellencamp
Brief Summary: Kenny Aronoff (born March 7, 1953) is an American rock drummer. He has played drums for many musicians, including John Mellencamp, Bob Seger, Belinda Carlisle, Elton John, John Fogerty, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meat Loaf, The BoDeans, Gregg Alexander, The Smashing Pumpkins, Chickenfoot, Tony Iommi, Jon Bon Jovi, Vasco Rossi, Cinderella, Stryper, Walter Trout and Styx.
Other Facts: After graduating from Indiana University, in 1976, where he studied under the acclaimed tympanist George Gaber, Aronoff passed on several symphony orchestra offers and decided to head for the East Coast where he studied drum set in Boston and New York. During this time he began to concentrate on jazz and fusion music, and in 1977 he returned to Bloomington, Indiana and spent several years in a popular local band, playing throughout the Midwest.
In 1980 he opted out of an opportunity to audition for Lou Rawls and instead joined John Mellencamp's band, recording 10 albums and touring with him over a 17-year period.
I've always like his style. Very versatile IMHO.
pretty good KA interview here on the Sixx Sense show
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Kenny's one of my favorite drummers! Thanks for the post!
Anybody read his book? Sex, Drums, and Rock and Roll? Thought about picking it up but hadn't seen any reviews of it.
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Didn't know he had a book. I'll have to look into that.
I went to a clinic that he did years ago. It was entertaining and informative. I really enjoyed the story about how the Smashing Pumpkins fired Matt Walker and hired Kenny to replace him.
Mmm... Saturns.
Now that's a Resume'. I wonder which one was his favorite gig.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
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That's interesting. I would have guessed that Fogerty would have been the difficult one, based on all the CCR stories. Then again, JCM has always been more of a front man.
-Brian
"Too many crappy used drum stuff to list"
Play the SONG......not the DRUMS!!!
"I think that feeling is a lot more important than technique. It's all very well doing a triple paradiddle - but who's going to know you've done it? If you play technically you sound like everybody else. It's being original that counts." ~ John Bonham
there's a david letterman vid of him with fogerty. i remember him doing his arm slinging all during the song
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