Denny Carmassi (born April 30, 1947) is an American drummer most notable for playing with many rock bands.

Biography

Carmassi was born into a family of drummers; his father, his uncle, and his brother each played the drums. Some of Denny's earliest memories are his father rehearsing after work with his band in the kitchen of their home. Occasionally they allowed young Denny Carmassi to sit in with them. His father exposed him to great drummers, including

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

, Jimmy Vincent and Richard Goldberg. Then Denny listened the radio and discovered several drummers like

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of a ...

, D.J. Fontana,

Al Jackson Jr. Albert J. Jackson Jr. (November 27, 1935 – October 1, 1975) was an American drummer, producer, and songwriter. He was a founding member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s, a group of session musicians who worked for Stax Records and produced their ...

(Denny actually learned to play the drums from listening to Al and playing along with the Booker T. & the M.G.'s ''Green Onions'' album), Clyde Stubblefield, Jabo Starks,

Dino Danelli Dino Danelli (July 23, 1944 – December 15, 2022) was an American drummer. Danelli was best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group The Young Rascals. He has been called "one of the great unappreciated rock drummers in his ...

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and African rhythms and pi ...

Mitch Mitchell John Graham "Mitch" Mitchell (9 July 194612 November 2008)In his book about the Experience, Mitchell states he celebrated his 21st birthday while on tour on 9 July 1967, which makes his birth year 1946.Mitchell's obituaries in ''Billboard' ''T ...

John Bonham John Henry Bonham (31 May 1948 – 25 September 1980) was an English musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Esteemed for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove ...

and Tony Williams. Out of high school, Denny started playing topless clubs in San Francisco. He joined a band called Sweet Linda Devine, and recorded an album in New York on Columbia, produced by

Al Kooper Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is a retired American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears, although he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity. ...

, but before long they parted ways. Denny went on to work with several local bands in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

and began working with Montrose and Sammy Hagar in the 1970s. Carmassi was a member of the first four line-ups of the band Montrose. After Montrose, he played with his former Montrose bandmate

Sammy Hagar Samuel Roy Hagar (born October 13, 1947), also known as the Red Rocker, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He rose to prominence in the early 1970s with the hard rock band Montrose and subsequently launched a successful solo car ...

as a solo artist, and with his former Montrose bandmates

Ronnie Montrose Ronald Douglas Montrose (November 29, 1947 – March 3, 2012) was an American guitarist who founded and led the rock bands Montrose and Gamma. He also performed and did session work with a variety of musicians, including Van Morrison, Herbie H ...

and

Jim Alcivar Jim Alcivar is an American keyboard and synthesizer player and sound engineer. He is most noted for his connection to guitarist Ronnie Montrose and appearing in his bands Montrose and Gamma and on his first solo album ''Open Fire''. His father i ...

in the band Gamma. Denny has played with

Heart The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...

, Coverdale-Page,

Whitesnake Whitesnake are an English hard rock band formed in London in 1978. The group was originally put together as the backing band for singer David Coverdale, who had recently left Deep Purple. Though the band quickly developed into their own en ...

, and David Coverdale as a solo artist. He also recorded with Randy Meisner,

Kim Carnes Kim Carnes (; born July 20, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began her career as a songwriter in the 1960s, writing for other artists while performing in local clubs and working as a sess ...

, Al Stewart,

Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In a career spanning over five decades, he has been a member of three successful rock bands: the James Gang, Eagles, and Ringo Starr & His All-Starr ...

38 Special 38 Special may refer to: * .38 Special The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, cent ...

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

, Randy Newman and many more. Denny toured with Foreigner in 2002. Currently, he performs with Mercy (featuring Lynda Morrison).

Discography

By date

1970s *

Sweet Linda Divine Sweetness is a basic taste most commonly perceived when eating foods rich in sugars. Sweet tastes are generally regarded as pleasurable. In addition to sugars like sucrose, many other chemical compounds are sweet, including aldehydes, ketones ...

– ''Sweet Linda Divine'' (1970) * Montrose – '' Montrose'' (1973) * Montrose – ''

Paper Money A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued ...

'' (1974) * Montrose – '' Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose!'' (1975) * Montrose – '' Jump On It'' (1976) *

– ''

Musical Chairs Musical chairs, also known as Trip to Jerusalem, is a game of elimination involving players, chairs, and music. It is a staple of many parties worldwide. Gameplay A set of chairs is arranged with one fewer chair than the number of players ...

'' (1977) * Sammy Hagar – '' All Night Long'' (1978) * Randy Meisner – ''Randy Meisner'' (1978) * St. Paradise – ''St. Paradise'' (1979) 1980s * Gamma – ''

Gamma 2 ''Gamma 2'' is Gamma's second album, released in 1980. On this album Ronnie Montrose keeps his streak of not having the same personnel on two albums in a row, changing the line-up once again. Davey Pattison (vocals), Montrose (guitar), and Jim ...

'' (1980) * Gamma – ''

Gamma 3 ''Gamma 3'' is the third studio album released by the rock band Gamma (band), Gamma. It was released in 1982. Track listing All songs by Ronnie Montrose, Mitchell Froom and Jerry Stahl, except where indicated. ;Side one #"What's Gone Is Gone" � ...

'' (1982) * Randy Meisner – ''Randy Meisner'' (1982) *

– ''

Passionworks ''Passionworks'' is the seventh studio album by American rock band Heart, released on August 20, 1983, by Epic Records. The album marks a shift in musical direction from hard rock and folk to mainstream rock. It is the first Heart album to featur ...

'' (1983) *

– Café Racers (1983) *

Mitchell Froom Mitchell Froom (born June 29, 1953) is an American musician and record producer. He was a member of the bands Gamma and Latin Playboys, and is currently the keyboardist for Crowded House. He has produced albums for several artists, including R ...

– Key of Cool (1984) * Al Stewart – Russians & Americans (1984) *

– The Confessor (1985) * Heart – ''

'' (1985) * Stevie Nicks – ''

Rock a Little ''Rock a Little'' is the third solo studio album by the American singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks. Released in late 1985 while Fleetwood Mac were still on a lengthy hiatus following their album ''Mirage'' (1982), ''Rock a Little'' hit the top ...

'' (1985) *

.38 Special The .38 Special, also commonly known as .38 S&W Special (not to be confused with .38 S&W), .38 Smith & Wesson Special, .38 Spl, .38 Spc, (pronounced "thirty-eight special"), or 9x29mmR is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & ...

– ''

Strength in Numbers Strength may refer to: Physical strength *Physical strength, as in people or animals *Hysterical strength, extreme strength occurring when people are in life-and-death situations *Superhuman strength, great physical strength far above human ca ...

'' (1986) * Heart – ''

Bad Animals ''Bad Animals'' is the ninth studio album by American rock band Heart, released on June 6, 1987, by Capitol Records. The album continues the mainstream hard rock style from the band's 1985 self-titled release, all while enjoying similar succ ...

'' (1987) *

– ''

Here I Go Again "Here I Go Again" is a song by British rock band Whitesnake. Originally released on their 1982 album, '' Saints & Sinners'', the power ballad was re-recorded for their 1987 self-titled album. The song was re-recorded again the same year in a ...

87'' – Radio-Edit Single (1987) *

– '' Long Cold Winter'' (1988) *

Russell Hitchcock Russell Charles Hitchcock (born 15 June 1949) is an Australian musician and lead vocalist of the soft rock duo Air Supply. Early life Born in Melbourne, Hitchcock attended South Brunswick State School, and later studied at Princes Hill High ...

– ''Russell Hitchcock'' (1988) 1990s * Heart – ''

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

'' (1990) * Heart – '' Rock the House Live!'' (1991) * Coverdale-Page – Coverdale and Page (1993) * Heart – ''

Desire Walks On ''Desire Walks On'' is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Heart, released on November 16, 1993, by Capitol Records. The majority of the album was co-written by lead members Ann and Nancy Wilson. It is Heart's final studio album to ...

'' (1993) * Randy Newman – ''Faust'' (1995) *

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock ...

– ''

Spirit of the Wild ''Spirit of the Wild'' is the eleventh studio album by American hard rock musician Ted Nugent. It was released in May 1995 by Atlantic Records. The album was produced by Mike Lutz from the Brownsville Station rock band and engineered by Lutz an ...

'' (1995) * Sammy Hagar – '' Marching to Mars'' (1997) *

– ''

Restless Heart Restless Heart is an American country music band established in 1984. The band's members are Larry Stewart (lead vocals), John Dittrich (drums, vocals), Paul Gregg (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Innis (piano, keyboards, guitar, vocals), and Greg J ...

'' (1997) 2000s * David Coverdale – '' Into the light'' (2000) * Trip to Heaven – ''707'' (2000) * Gamma – ''

Gamma 4 ''Gamma 4'' is Gamma (band), Gamma's fourth and final album and was originally released on Ronnie Montrose's own label, RoMoCo, in 2000. In 2005, it was re-released by Wounded Bird Records. Track listing All credits adapted from the original r ...

'' (2000) *

Bruce Turgon Bruce Turgon (born April 25, 1952) is an American bass guitarist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. Bruce has played in several bands throughout his career including: Foreigner, The Lou Gramm Band, Shadow King, Steve Stevens, Warr ...

– ''Outside Looking In'' (2006) * Mercy (featuring Lynda Morrison) – "Bad Habit" (2014)

By Band / Artist-surname

– Café Racers (1983) *

– '' Long Cold Winter'' (1988) * Coverdale-Page – Coverdale/Page (1993) * David Coverdale – '' Into the light'' (2000) *

– Key of Cool (1984) * Gamma – ''

'' (1980) * Gamma – ''

'' (1982) * Gamma – ''

'' (2000) *

– ''

'' (1977) * Sammy Hagar – '' All Night Long'' (1978) * Sammy Hagar – '' Marching to Mars'' (1997) *

– ''

'' (1983) * Heart – ''

'' (1985) * Heart – ''

'' (1987) * Heart – ''

'' (1990) * Heart – '' Rock the House Live!'' (1991) * Heart – ''

'' (1993) *

– ''Russell Hitchcock'' (1988) * Randy Meisner – ''Randy Meisner'' (1978) * Randy Meisner – ''Randy Meisner'' (1982) * Montrose – '' Montrose'' (1973) * Montrose – ''

'' (1974) * Montrose – '' Warner Brothers Presents... Montrose!'' (1975) * Montrose – '' Jump On It'' (1976) * Mercy (featuring Lynda Morrison) – ''

Bad Habit A bad habit is a negative behaviour pattern. Common examples include: procrastination, overspending and nail-biting. Development Research on habit formation generally suggests an individual can acquire a new habit on average over 66 days. Th ...

'' (2014) * Stevie Nicks – ''

'' (1985) * Randy Newman – ''Faust'' (1995) *

– ''

'' (1995) * St. Paradise – ''St. Paradise'' (1979) * Al Stewart – Russians & Americans (1984) *

– ''Sweet Linda Divine'' (1970) * Trip to Heaven – ''707'' (2000) *

– ''Outside Looking In'' (2006) *

– The Confessor (1985) *

– ''

87'' – Radio-Edit Single (1987) * Whitesnake – ''

'' (1997) *

– ''

'' (1986)

References

External links

Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmassi, Denny American rock drummers Whitesnake members Montrose (band) members Heart (band) members Living people Drummers from San Francisco Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas members Michael Schenker Group members Gamma (band) members 1947 births