Hal Blaine

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About Hal Blaine

One of the most successful and influential drummers of his lifetime, Hal Blaine was a versatile and much-respected session drummer who played on thousands of recordings, including 40 songs that became number one hits in the United States. Born Harold Simon Belsky, Blaine played drums for such heavy weights as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and hundreds more. His playing can be heard on such immortal number one hits as Presley's "Can’t Help Falling in Love with You," Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night," the Beach Boys' "I Get Around," the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man," Sonny & Cher's "I Got You, Babe," the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," and Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Waters." He was a key member of the floating group of studio musicians nicknamed "the Wrecking Crew" who dominated the Los Angeles recording community, and he was said to have coined their name. Blaine also released a handful of solo albums in the '60s that featured his drumming skills as well as 1998's Buh-Doom!, which focused on both percussion and comedy. Blaine and the core members of the Wrecking Crew were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Blaine died on March 11, 2019 at the age of 90. ~ Anthony Tognazzini & Mark Deming

HOMETOWN
Holyoke, MA, United States
BORN
February 5, 1929
GENRE
Rock

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