Remembering the hugely influential and multifaceted gospel drummer. Joel Smith, one of the most prolific drummers in the gospel music scene, passed away this past September 8 at the age of fifty-eight. Beginning in the mid ’70s, Smith carved out a unique position as the musical centerpiece of gospel royalty with his uncles Edwin and Walter Hawkins, who were among the first gospel artists in a generation to achieve crossover success by selling millions of records and earning multiple Grammy awards and nominations. Smith sat right in the heart of various Hawkins’ projects on drums and, later, bass. In fact, he possessed so much talent on both instruments, he’d often record drums on Hawkins’ sessions and then overdub bass on those same tracks. In addition to projects with the
Hawkins family, Smith became an in-
demand session player and producer, arranging and performing on countless gospel, R&B, and jazz records, movie scores, […]

February 2019 Issue