Burleigh Drummond (born September 25, 1951) is an American drummer, percussionist,
producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
, songwriter, and singer. He is a founding member and the only drummer/percussionist for the five-time
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
Award nominated band
Ambrosia
In the ancient Greek myths, ''ambrosia'' (, grc, ἀμβροσία 'immortality'), the food or drink of the Greek gods, is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Olympus ...
. He currently performs onstage in the band with his fellow member and wife
Mary Harris, and the couple are also both active members of
Bill Champlin’s Wunderground and their own band ‘Tin Drum’.
Childhood
A self-described "
Army brat
A military brat ( colloquial or military slang) is a child of serving or retired military personnel. Military brats are associated with a unique subcultureDavid C. Pollock, Ruth E. van Reken. ''Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds'', Revi ...
," Drummond's parents were in the U.S. Army, with his father a full colonel and his mother an army nurse. The family moved often and ended up being stationed in
Ankara, Turkey where as a child Drummond had an experience he found transformative: he watched and listened as artisans hammered out a large copper plate, not unlike a cymbal, "spinning and hammering in sublime synchronicity." From an early age Drummond realized he would be involved in the percussive arts.
Career
After playing in various bands, Drummond signed up with a musicians contact service "for $5" and within a week all three members of what would become the band Ambrosia came by his residence and formed the group "before we ever played a note."
Drummond has described Ambrosia compositionally as "
Joe Puerta and
David Pack were like our
Lennon and McCartney
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and I was kind of the
George Harrison
George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...
!"
Drummond recorded on every Ambrosia record from 1970 to the present, and toured internationally with the band throughout its history to date.
[Burleigh Drummond](_blank)
AllMusic.
Drummond and his wife,
Mary Harris, formed the band Tin Drum in the 1990s, and have released 3 albums. Harris and Drummond, who married in 1983, perform musically together onstage with Ambrosia, Tin Drum, and since 2018 in
Bill Champlin’s Wunderground.
References
External links
Burleigh Drummond, Mary Harris, guest Luis Conte and Tin Drum perform "Real World"">Luis Conte">Burleigh Drummond, Mary Harris, guest Luis Conte
and Tin Drum perform "Real World"
Ambrosia – Official WebsiteMary Harris and Burleigh Drummondinterviewed by Gonzo Today in 2017.
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Ambrosia (band) members
1951 births
Living people