Remembering The Great Yogi Horton Exclusive Interview: Modern Drummer Magazine

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Remembering The Great Yogi Horton Cont'd

Blank Tapes studio manager and drum tech Jimmy Dougherty recalls his time spent with Yogi. "I can get long-winded on the subject of Yogi, having spent many hours with him between 1978 and that awful day. I had the opportunity, after setting up the drums for his sessions, to plug a set of headphones in and stand in the back of the drum booth and watch and listen to what he'd be playing. If I didn't see and hear it for myself, I would say that either there were two drummers, or he overdubbed the hi-hat or the toms. He put the 'ambi' in ambidextrous! Oh yeah, I almost forgot—his legendary count-off. Being a military brat and living on military bases, he picked up that sound from his father, and it became his trademark."

Yogi's bandmate, bassist Tinker Barfield, shares his thoughts on his close friend. "I find it hard to believe that it's been twenty years. When I think of Yogi (or 'Hock,' as we affectionately called him), I remember a drummer whose timing, articulation, musicality, and groove ability was unmatched. As a bass player, these are qualities you look for and feel in a drummer.

"Boy, did we have fun while grooving it down!" Tinker continues. There were times on stage with Luther Vandross when we knew that the groove was so locked, it was as if we were sharing a breath. Yogi prided himself on giving the greatest performance he could give every time he played, whether live or in the studio. Yet with all of the amazing musical memories we shared, Yogi shared even more profound things with me after he made his transition. I was thirty-one years young when this tragedy struck, and to say that it was a very difficult time in my life is an understatement.

They say, 'The show must go on,' but I wanted it to stop," recalls Tinker. "I needed time to reflect and mourn. I was very angry and upset and didn't know how to handle this loss in a healthy way, so my anger manifested itself in other ways. These feelings of anger and loss ultimately got to the point where I ended up leaving the music business for several years. I was already on a spiritual path, but this tragedy clearly accelerated the process. During my sabbatical years from the business, Yogi appeared to me several times in my dreams. He never said a word, but his unspoken yet intuitively received messages still reverberate within my spirit. I still don't fully understand all of them, but I do understand this: Although Yogi's passing was tragic for me then, I now realize that it was just time for him to move on. I'm very grateful for all that he and I shared together while he was alive, and as his name reflects, his passing helped me achieve a level of spiritual insight and tranquility."

Percussionist and bandmate Steven Kroon reflects, "I knew Yogi prior to our playing together in Luther's band. We gigged around with some small groups for a time. I've been honored to play with some of the best drummers in the industry, all of them different in their style and technique, but I can honestly say that Yogi was one of my favorite drummers. One of his gifts was his perfect timing. He also had a great sense of knowing how to lay down the groove, whether in the studio or on the bandstand. His approach on the cymbals, especially the hi-hat, was very funky and strong.

"One of Yogi's most famous attributes," Kroon goes on, "was his tom-tom fills. During the years I spent with him, we became great friends and shared a lot of our youthful experiences, which helped in developing our techniques. One he shared with me was the years he spent with his family living at West Point. Yogi's father was a sergeant in the army, and during this time he was very impressed by the West Point cadet marching bank. He would watch them daily, and he said that experience and discipline inspired and motivated him, not only to practice his rudiments, but also to want to become one of the best drummers in the world.

"Yogi's talent was not just hereditary; it came from years of practice and discipline, and also from a sense of knowing what he wanted in life. He would often say to me that he never wanted to become a star; he just wanted to play behind them. Two of his happiest moments were when, within a span of two months, he played on Diana Ross's major hit 'Why Do Fools Fall in Love,' and then recorded with his favorite artist of all time, James Brown. That really took him to the top! Some may say that his death was untimely, but those of us who knew him also knew of his great talent, and will always remember him as one of the very best!"

Justin Timberlake/Prince drummer John Blackwell grew up with knowing Yogi as a close friend of his dad's. "Yogi is and will always be a big influence on my playing," Blackwell insists. "I will never forget the concert tickets he would give my dad and my family to see him perform. I would be watching Luther Vandross sing and then all of sudden Yogi would do something amazingly powerful and tasteful, and I would take my eyes off of Luther and watch Yogi. In the studio, he also knew how to lay the pocket down and stay right with it."

John Blackwell Sr. recalls the first time he met Yogi, and the impact Yogi had on his son John Jr. as a drummer. "I first met Yogi Horton when I was working at the Carolina Coliseum in Columbia, South Carolina, when he was on tour with Luther Vandross. I was blown away by Yogi's ability to play with such power and finesse. He and I became friends instantly, and he would always take me in with him for his soundchecks and concerts whenever he was in town. I would always take John Jr. to see him perform whenever he was in town, and he became a very big influence on John Jr. And the power that John plays with today all came from watching Yogi. Yogi Horton is at the top of my list of all-time favorite drummers."


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Web Exclusive Interview Remembering The Great Yogi Horton Cont'd

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Remembering The Great Yogi Horton Cont'd