James Frank Copley (29 December 1953 – 13 May 2017) was an English rock drummer.
Copley was largely a
session musician
Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
and worked with
Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He rose to prominence with the Yardbirds and after fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, he switched to a mainly instrumental style, with a focus ...
,
Graham Parker
Graham Thomas Parker (born 18 November 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.
Life and career Early career (1960s–1976)
Parker was born in Hackney, East L ...
,
Upp,
Paul Young
Paul Antony Young (born 17 January 1956) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. Formerly the frontman of the short-lived bands Kat Kool & the Kool Cats, Streetband and Q-Tips, he became a teen idol with his solo success in the 1980s. ...
,
Magnum,
Roger Glover
Roger David Glover (born 30 November 1945) is a Welsh bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the member of the hard rock bands Deep Purple and Rainbow. As a member of Deep Purple, Glover was inducted into the Rock and Ro ...
,
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan (born 19 August 1945) is a British singer who is best known as the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band Deep Purple. He is known for his powerful and wide-ranging singing voice.
Initially influenced by Elvis Presley, Gillan ...
and
Glenn Hughes of
Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
,
Go West,
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass).
Their first album, ''Ki ...
,
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
,
Seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...
,
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...
and
Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...
.
He was the drummer with
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band are an English rock band formed by South African musician Manfred Mann (musician), Manfred Mann. Their hits include covers of Bruce Springsteen's "For You (Bruce Springsteen song), For You", "Blinded by the Light" an ...
from 2007.
He was a master of the
open-handed drumming technique. This method dispenses with crossing the hands when playing the hi-hat and snare drum simultaneously, as opposed to the more traditional way of playing drums which features crossed hands as the basic playing position.
Copley was a long-term
Tama Drums
Tama Drums, (from Japanese: (Kanji), (Kana), read as ) is a brand of drum kits and hardware manufactured and marketed by the Japanese musical instrument company, Hoshino Gakki. Tama's research and development of products, along with producti ...
endorser. He used Superstar, Granstar, Artstar II and Starclassic drums throughout the years. Another long time association was with
Zildjian
:''Zildjian leads here. For people with the surname, see Zildjian (disambiguation)''
The Avedis Zildjian Company, simply known as Zildjian (), is a musical instrument manufacturer specializing in cymbals and other percussion instruments. Founded ...
Cymbals
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
. He also used
Vic Firth
Everett Joseph "Vic" Firth (June 2, 1930 – July 26, 2015) was an American musician and the founder of Vic Firth Company (formerly Vic Firth, Inc.), a company that makes percussion mallet, percussion sticks and mallets.
Biography
Vic Firt ...
drumsticks.
Death
According to University Hospital Bristol, Copley had been diagnosed with leukemia in 2015 and relapsed following a bone marrow transplant. He opted to discontinue chemotherapy. In Copley's final days, his hospital room was transformed into a temporary recording studio so that he and friends could record an EP to benefit the Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre and Royal United Hospital, in Bristol.
Selected discography
Upp
* ''Upp'' (1975)
* ''This Way Upp'' (1976)
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English rock music, rock band from Notting Hill, London, England, formed in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass).
Their first album, ''Ki ...
* ''
Outside the Gate'' (1988)
Tears For Fears
Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...
* ''Tears for Fears: Live at Knebworth '90 (Change, Badman's Song, Everybody Wants to Rule the World)'' (1990)
* ''
Going To California (Live from Santa Barbara)'' (1990)
Psychedelix
* ''Move On/Green Light'' (1992)
* ''Psychedelix'' (1992)
* ''no one's wastin' time'' (live album, 1992)
* ''Rowdy Boys'' (1993)
* ''Psychedelix II'' (1994)
* ''Livin' In Osaka'' (1994)
* ''Merry-Go-Round'' (1995)
* ''Stand'' (1995)
* ''Stand e.p.'' (1995)
* ''Smoky'' (1996)
* ''On-Gaeshi 1'' (live album, 1999)
* ''On-Gaeshi 2'' (live album, 1999)
* ''Edoya Collection 1992-1996'' (1999)
* ''20th March 1994'' (live DVD, 2000)
* ''Move On Tour Stage 1'' (live DVD, 2005)
* ''New Classics'' (2008)
Stone Free -
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
Tribute
* ''Stone Free - Jimi Hendrix Tribute'' (1993)
Curt Smith
Curt Smith (born 24 June 1961) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and co-founding member of the pop rock band Tears for Fears along with childhood friend Roland Orzabal. Smith plays bass guitar, has co-written seve ...
* ''
Soul on Board
''Soul on Board'' is the debut solo studio album by English singer Curt Smith, released on 6 September 1993 by Vertigo and Phonogram Records.
The album was Smith's first musical venture after leaving pop rock band Tears for Fears in 1991. Prec ...
'' (1993)
Martin Page
Martin George Page (born 23 September 1959) is an English singer-songwriter and bassist. Page has collaborated with artists such as Paul Young, Starship (band), Starship, Robbie Robertson, Earth, Wind & Fire, Heart (band), Heart, Robbie William ...
* ''
In the House of Stone and Light
"In the House of Stone and Light" is the debut single by British musician Martin Page, released in July 1994 from his In the House of Stone and Light (album), debut album of the same name. The song peaked at number 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 10 ...
'' (1994)
The Pretenders
Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Fa ...
* ''
Last of the Independents'' (1994)
Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers (born 17 December 1949) is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the lead vocalist of numerous bands, including Free, Bad Company, The Firm, and The Law. He has also performed as a solo artist, and co ...
*''
Live: The Loreley Tapes'' (live album, 1996)
*''
Now
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Now ...
'' (1997)
*''
Now and Live'' (2-CD compilation, 1997)
*''
Electric
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...
'' (2000)
Char
Char may refer to:
People
*Char Fontane, American actress
*Char Margolis, American spiritualist
* René Char (1907–1988), French poet
*The Char family of Colombia:
** Fuad Char, Colombian senator
** Alejandro Char Chaljub, mayor of Barranquilla ...
* ''Days Went By 1988-1993'' (1993)
* ''20th Anniversary "Electric Guitar Concert"'' (live album, 1997)
* ''Today'' (1998)
* ''Let It Blow'' (1998)
* ''Touch My Love Again'' (1999)
* ''I’m Gonna Take This Chance'' (1999)
* ''Char Edoya Collection 1988-1997'' (1999)
* ''Char Plays Ballad'' (1999)
* ''20th Anniversary "Electric Guitar Concert"'' (live DVD, 1999)
* ''Share The Wonder'' (2000)
* ''Char Played With And Without'' (live album, 2000)
* ''Bamboo Joints'' (2001)
* ''Char Psyche 1988'' (live album, 2002)
* ''Live In Nippon Budokan 2001 "Bamboo Joints"'' (live DVD, 2002)
* ''Sacred Hills'' (2002)
* ''Mr.70’s You Set Me Free'' (2003)
* ''Singles 1976-2005'' (2006)
* ''Tradrock "Jeff" by Char'' (2011)
Mayfield
* ''
Mayfield'' (1998)
Tony Iommi
Anthony Frank Iommi () (born 19 February 1948) is a British musician. He co-founded the pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and was the band's guitarist, leader and primary composer and sole continuous member for nearly five decades. I ...
*''
Iommi'' (2000)
*''
The 1996 DEP Sessions'' (2004)
Go West
*''The Best Of Go West - The Runaway Train Tour'' (1987)
Magnum
* ''Livin' The Dream'' (2005 live DVD)
* ''
Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow
''Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow'' is the 14th studio album by the English rock band Magnum. The album was released by SPV in Germany on 23 March 2007, in the rest of Europe on 26 March 2007 and in the USA on 3 April 2007. The album title ...
'' (2007)
Jimmy Copley
* ''Slap My Hand'' (2008)
Jimmy Copley & Char
* ''Slap My Hand Special Session'' (live DVD, 2009)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Copley, Jimmy
1953 births
2017 deaths
English rock drummers
Manfred Mann's Earth Band members
Musicians from London
English heavy metal drummers
English session musicians
Deaths from leukemia
Deaths from cancer in England
Magnum (band) members
The Company of Snakes members