Buddy Rich is considered by many to be the greatest drummer of all time. Here at the Northup Drums Museum, we share that view and celebrate the influence he had on so many drummers not only during his life, but today. Here’s a little history of how Buddy influenced my life as a drummer, collector, and drum historian. I began playing drums at age nine. I was in the fourth-grade band, and I continued playing through high school and college. In 1986, I was a sophomore in high school, playing in the band, jazz band, and pit orchestra. On March 18, 1986, Buddy Rich and his band played at SUNY Oneonta College and all of us drummers from the high school band were very excited to see our drumming hero. We were all Buddy fans, and we were all trying to play solos like Buddy in our jazz band! I […]

August 2026 Issue