
Chris Johnson

From Gospel to Gaga… and Everything In-Between! On the heels of another huge Lady Gaga tour, and a newborn son, drummer Chris Johnson has a lot to smile about. The last 20 years have been filled with tours with Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Seal, Jennifer Lopez, Patti Labelle, Madonna, and many …

The first-call R&B and pop drummer with Lady Gaga, Camila Cabello, and other superstars has climbed the ladder methodically, and with no small amount of flair.

The interactive museum celebrates a decade of percussion education. Nestled in the heart of downtown Indianapolis is the Rhythm! Discovery Center, a gem of the drum and percussion world. Founded by the Percussive Arts Society in 2009 and now celebrating its tenth year, the RDC is said to be the …
Posted: September 10, 2020

Drummers on Record: Danny Gottlieb, Pedrito Martinez, Linda Pitmon
Mark Egan and Danny Gottlieb Electric Blue (Danny Gottlieb) Bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb, who share a nearly fifty-year working relationship, are releasing their first-ever duo recording, Electric Blue, featuring just drums and bass. Egan and Gottlieb spent years touring and recording together as members of the original …
Posted: September 5, 2019

Chris St. Hilaire of the London Souls, Sinkane, and Doyle Bramhall
Greetings MD readers! Chris St. Hilaire here, and I’m excited to share a few updates.
Posted: March 23, 2017
On the Beat with Nick Hayes of the Eric Gales Band: Talks Upcoming Release, Current Tour, and Gear
Hello MD readers, I’m Nick Hayes from the Eric Gales Band and I hail from Greensboro, North Carolina. I’ve been the full-time drummer for world-renowned guitarist Eric Gales for the last five years.
Posted: February 8, 2017
Legendary Bassist Nathan East on His New Album Reverence
On Nathan East’s second solo album, Reverence, he once again steps into the spotlight as bandleader. Produced by East and Yamaha Entertainment Group of America founder Chris Gero, it’s no surprise that shortly after its debut (less than one month ago), the album hit the number-one spot on both the …
Posted: October 31, 2016
Tommy Benedetti On Tour with John Brown’s Body
Tommy Benedetti, longtime drummer with the Boston-based roots/reggae vets John Brown’s Body, is currently on the road with the group supporting its newest release, Fireflies. Benedetti fills each song on the album to the brim with pure and tasteful grooves, and on tour he pushes them into overdrive.
Posted: October 7, 2016
Latin Percussion Hosts New York and Los Angeles Artist Events
Latin Percussion (LP) recently hosted artist “family reunion” events in both New York and Los Angeles. LP artists were joined by staff and executives from LP’s parent company Drum Workshop, Inc. to celebrate the legacy and to toast the future of the more than fifty-year-old percussion brand.
Posted: June 14, 2016
Tony Thaxton Returns to the Road with Motion City Soundtrack…One Last Time
It’s not a stretch to say Tony Thaxton’s drumming is just as vital to Motion City Soundtrack’s DNA as frontman Justin Pierre’s infectious melodies and neurotic internal monologue. Trust me—my band shared a Minneapolis practice space with Motion City in the early aughts, when they cycled though timekeepers at a …
Posted: May 31, 2016
Brian Kantor of the Fruit Bats on Absolute Loser
Brian Kantor has worked with indie faves Vetiver, ex-Cardigans singer Nina Persson, and Shudder to Think guitarist Nathan Larson, has for the past five years has a member of the Fruit Bats, led by multi-instrumentalist Eric D. Johnson. In May the band released a brand-new album, Absolute Loser, which was …
Posted: February 19, 2016
A Different View: Gary Clark Jr.
Gary Clark Jr. By Frank Maddocks by Will Romano The last time I talked with Gary Clark Jr., it was over a decade ago and he was fitting a harp into a harmonica rack at Antone’s blues club, in Austin, Texas, where I was doing research. Gary was quiet …
Posted: November 2, 2015
Dom Famularo’s Teachers List
Over the course of his forty-year career traveling the globe to teach, perform, and conduct clinics, Dom Famularo has interacted with some of the finest drummers and drum instructors in the world. The following list contains many of those names, organized by country/continent. If you’re looking for top-notch drum instruction, …
Posted: October 1, 2015
November 2015 Issue of Modern Drummer featuring Brian Frasier-Moore
See what’s in the pages of the October 2015 issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Brian Frasier-Moore and where you can get it….
Posted: August 14, 2015
On the Beat With Donn Garrett: Brilliant Mis-takes Made by Donn Garrett and Friends
What began as a water tank replacement in trade for studio time became a lasting relationship between London Bridge Studios and myself. At first, it was uncertain how many sessions there would be so I figured why not throw down some chops….
Posted: May 18, 2015
Drummer Blog: Top Canadian Drummer Jayson Brinkworth Checks In
I wanted to update you on a few things happening in my drumming world. First off let me say what an honor and pleasure it is to be part of the very prestigious Modern Drummer Education Team. It is amazing to share ideas and concepts with so many great players …
Posted: December 31, 2014
Album Review: Anton Times Two
A pair of recent recordings, Eric Johnson and Mike Stern’s Eclectic and Joe Bonamassa’s Different Shades of Blue, reveal what Late Show drummer Anton Fig is up to when he’s away from the TV cameras—namely, making some famous guitar slingers very, very happy.
Posted: December 10, 2014
News: Guitar Center’s 26th-Annual Drum-Off Finals Brings Together Legendary Drummers to Celebrate the Nation’s Best Undiscovered Talent
Five talented drummers from across the country have been chosen from over 5,000 drummers entered in more than 1,000 local competitions nationwide to compete as finalists in Guitar Center’s 26th Annual Drum-Off, the world’s premier drum competition….
Posted: June 6, 2014
James Jennings of Lime Cordiale
I’m a twenty-four-year-old session drummer from Sydney, Australia. I’ve toured, played, and recorded for many Australian artists, such as Ngaiire, Mike Nock, James Morrison, Lancelot, Toucan, Phebe Starr, Pluto Jonze, Argentina, Tokyo Denmark Sweden, Mrs. Bishop, Tim Fitz, and Iluka….
Posted: February 26, 2014
VIDEO – Korn’s Ray Luzier and Special Guests Play “Sluggo’s Revenge??? at Guitar Center’s 2014 Drum-Off Finals
Watch Korn drummer Ray Luzier’s exclusive performance of “Sluggo’s Revenge??? from Guitar Center’s 2014 Drum-Off Finals, held this past January 18. Ray’s band featured Jeff Kollman on guitar, Billy Sheehan on bass, and DJ/producer Sluggo.
Posted: February 21, 2014
VIDEO – Chad Smith’s Bombastic Meatbats With Steve Lukather Play “We All Swing the Tuna??? at Guitar Center’s 2014 Drum-Off Finals
Check out this video of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith leading his band the Bombastic Meatbats at Guitar Center’s 2014 Drum-Off Finals, held this past January 18. The band, which also consists of guitarist Jeff Kollman, keyboard player Ed Roth, and bassist Kevin Chown, was joined onstage by …
Posted: February 20, 2014
VIDEO – Steve Ferrone and Questlove Play “Pick Up the Pieces??? at Guitar Center’s 2014 Drum-Off Finals
Check out this video of longtime Tom Petty drummer Steve Ferrone and the Roots’ Questlove playing “Pick Up the Pieces,??? from Guitar Center’s 2014 Drum-Off Finals, which were held this past January 18. The song was the biggest hit for the Scottish funk group Average White Band, which Ferrone played …
Posted: November 19, 2012
Brit Turner of Blackberry Smoke
My name is Brit Turner, and I live in Atlanta, Georgia, with my wife, daughter, dog, two cats, one fish, and a snail. Great things have been happening for me lately.
Posted: July 9, 2012
Clyde Davis of the Ex Senators
Hey, everybody. My name is Clyde Davis, and I play drums with the Ex Senators, out of Chicago. Our debut album comes out August 7 on HeatShield Records….
Posted: March 19, 2012
Tim Walsh of the Stepkids
I’m Tim Walsh of the Stepkids, and I’m excited to be on here and hope to add to the wealth of knowledge that is MD’s awesome thirty-five-year history…
Posted: February 3, 2012
Vince Wilburn Jr.
Hey, what’s happening, MD! This is Vince Wilburn Jr., recently back from winter NAMM 2012, where I got to see a lot of my good friends, witness some great music, and check out new, innovative products. It’s one of my favorite times of the year….
Posted: February 2, 2012
Shawn Bowen of Didges Christ SuperDrum and World Collision
Hello, fellow time manipulators! I am truly honored to be given the opportunity to write this blog and to communicate with all of you! First, a little bit about my history and experience in the music industry. I’m a multi-instrumentalist. I began my career as a guitarist, being drawn to …
Posted: December 19, 2011
Dec Web Update News
Drumming news from around the web for December 2011.
Posted: November 22, 2011
November Web Update News
Drumming news for the month of November complied in one place.
Posted: October 20, 2011
Posted: September 22, 2011
Back Through the Stack: Harvey Mason
The studio star had a decade’s worth of important work under his belt when MD spoke with him for this 1981 cover story.
Posted: September 1, 2011
Web Update News
The latest and greatest news from the drumming industry. This edition features updates on Chad Sexton, John Tempesta, Jon Wysocki, Will Hunt, Brian Young and more.
Posted: July 1, 2011
MD Readers Poll 2011 Results
Welcome once again to the MD Readers Poll, where the greatest drummers on the planet are honored by the most educated drum fans around. Let’s get right to it: the envelope, please….
Posted: May 27, 2011
Phil Rudd: The Very Definition of Rock Drumming
When many musicians and fans think about no-nonsense, rock-solid, play-for-the-song drumming, the first name that comes to mind is Phil Rudd.
Posted: March 16, 2010
Chris Johnson — Touring With Rihanna
Yo, what up, MD? This is ya boy Chris Johnson from Los Angeles, California. Like many others in this field, I started playing in church—my dad’s church, to be exact. So I was always there to play, practice, and everything. Needless to say, I was born in the church. Due …
Posted: December 22, 2009
Steve Tyrell’s Kevin Winard
I have toured with Doc Severinsen, Sergio Mendes, the Captain & Tennille, Christine Ebersole, Gloria Loring, and many others…
Posted: June 24, 2009
Toby Keith’s Dave McAfee
My name is Dave McAfee, and I have played drums for Toby Keith since 2000. I wanted to say hey and share what's been going on lately. We recently returned to the States from our eighth USO tour, this time including twelve stops in Afghanistan.
Posted: March 1, 2009
Web Exclusive Interview: Britney Spears’ Chris Bailey
Chris Bailey was born in Sheffield, England, on January 5, 1974, and has been surrounded by music his whole life. His dad played guitar and his mom sang, and early on Chris discovered he had an uncanny talent for the drums. At age eight he was already playing in his …
Posted: July 7, 2008
Sean Davidson from Blacklist Union
This coming July 22, my band, Blacklist Union, are set to release our new album, Breakin Bread With The Devil, produced by Chris Johnson (Evanescence, Josh Todd) and Anthony Valli of Crazy Town.
Posted: April 27, 2008
John Chipman
I've been incredibly blessed in life. I've been playing drums for nearly thirty years, and like many of you out there, I started out playing at home as a child and was quickly hooked on playing the instrument….
Posted: April 25, 2008
Marcus Baylor of The Yellowjackets
Hello, MD family! 2008 has been a blessed and busy year, with more great things to come! My name is Marcus Baylor, and I am the drummer with The Yellowjackets.
Posted: October 1, 2007
The Return of Double Drumming’s Greatest Hits
In the February 2007 issue of Modern Drummer, we ran a feature called “Double Drumming’s 25 Greatest Hits.??? At the time we asked MD readers to submit their own favorite double-drum performances, which we’d post online at a later date. Well, the time has arrived, double-drum fans—the floor is yours!
Posted: May 19, 2005
Chad Cromwell: Web Exclusive Interview
We first featured Chad Cromwell in the March ’04 issue. There wasn’t quite enough room for all the great stuff Chad had to say, though, so we decided to share the rest of it with you here.
Posted: February 24, 2020

MD Podcast Episode 231: 6/8 Vs. 3/4, Chris Johnson, Gretsch Brooklyn Standard Snare, and More
Mike and Mike discuss the relationship between 6/8 and 3/4 time and how they teach them.