Kenny Aronoff: The Band Guy For Everybody – Part 1
Nov07

Kenny Aronoff: The Band Guy For Everybody – Part 1

I want to start off by saying that I don’t get “star struck” when I meet famous people. And I’ve met a bunch. Now, I do get super excited when I get to interview drummers because I know the gig to a large degree, and when I get to meet a drummer I admire, it tends to be because I love the music they’ve made or the bands they’ve played in. Meeting Kenny Aronoff is something quite different for me. Not that I got starstruck. Because to meet Kenny is to meet a totally down to earth great guy who is super easy to talk shop with. But when you realize you’re talking with a guy who has played on over 500 records, the correct term is awestruck. And I love being in awe of other people. I love seeing the greatness of other human beings. And in the world of drumming, Kenny Aronoff is one of the greats. But to have played on over 500 records and toured for countless numbers of years and played with literally the greatest artists in the history of music, you want to make sure that you really dig in. Because the lessons that come from a success story like Kenny Aronoff’s are lessons that apply far beyond the world of drums. His story is not just about how to be a great drummer, but about how to live your passion and rise to the top of the game you play. And if the soul of a great band is the drummer, then Kenny has lessons on how to be a fully spiritual entity, because he is able to bring that soul into an incredible number of different situations and still maintain the soul of a “band guy”. And if you ever needed proof of the truly spiritual nature of music, go see Kenny on tour with John Fogerty touring behind his album Wrote A Song For Everyone, and you will realize that music might be the most powerful thread that holds us all together. TheBestDrummerInTheWorld.com: Kenny, I imagine that if I said you’re a busy guy, that would be an understatement. Kenny Aronoff: You don’t know one-tenth of it. I’m in the middle of writing a book, mixing a record while touring with John, and I’m getting ready to do the Kennedy Center Honors. This is my sixth year doing it. I’m doing Billy Joel and Santana, which is no big deal now as the gig day approaches, but when you get there it’s the most massive pressure you can imagine. You gotta read like a motherfucker. Playing with seven artists that can...

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