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James McDonnell (born March 21, 1961), known by the stage name Slim Jim Phantom, is the drummer for
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
. Alongside bandmates Brian Setzer and
Lee Rocker Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker, August 3, 1961) is an American musician. He is a member of the rockabilly revival band Stray Cats. He is the son of the classical clarinetists Stanley Drucker, the late former principal clarinetist of the New Yo ...
, he spearheaded the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 1980s. Phantom currently plays in the band Kat Men with Imelda May guitarist Darrel Higham and is the host of the weekly radio show "Rockabilly Rave-up" on the satellite radio station
Underground Garage ''Underground Garage'' is the name shared by two related but different radio outlets, a syndicated show and a satellite radio station, both created and supervised by American musician Steven Van Zandt (best known as a guitarist in Bruce Springs ...
.


Biography

Born in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
and raised in Massapequa, New York, Phantom grew up listening to his parents'
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
records and began playing drums by the age of ten. He took lessons with Mousie Alexander, who played with
Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conce ...
, studying
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
and working through books by Jim Chapin and
Ted Reed Ralph Edwin Reed (October 18, 1890 in Beaver, Pennsylvania – February 16, 1959) was a professional third baseman who played for the Newark Pepper of the Federal League in its 1915 season. Reed played college baseball at both Dartmouth College ...
. By the late 1970s, he was playing in bands with his childhood friend,
bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...
Lee Rocker Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker, August 3, 1961) is an American musician. He is a member of the rockabilly revival band Stray Cats. He is the son of the classical clarinetists Stanley Drucker, the late former principal clarinetist of the New Yo ...
. They soon joined forces with
guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...
Brian Setzer to form
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
. When performing with Stray Cats, Phantom did not sit behind a standard
drum kit A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
like most drummers, but instead opted to play in a standing position with a minimalist set-up of
bass drum The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. T ...
,
snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used i ...
, hi-hat, and crash cymbal. During downtime from Stray Cats, Phantom played in
swing Swing or swinging may refer to: Apparatus * Swing (seat), a hanging seat that swings back and forth * Pendulum, an object that swings * Russian swing, a swing-like circus apparatus * Sex swing, a type of harness for sexual intercourse * Swing rid ...
,
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...
, and
jump blues Jump blues is an up-tempo style of blues, usually played by small groups and featuring horn instruments. It was popular in the 1940s and was a precursor of rhythm and blues and rock and roll. Appreciation of jump blues was renewed in the 1990s a ...
combo The Swing Cats with Rocker and ex- Polecats guitarist
Danny B. Harvey The Head Cat is an American rockabilly supergroup formed by vocalist/bassist Lemmy (of Motörhead), drummer Slim Jim Phantom (of The Stray Cats) and guitarist Danny B. Harvey (of Lonesome Spurs and The Rockats). Lemmy died in 2015 and as of 2 ...
, as well as rockabilly and
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on div ...
project Phantom, Rocker & Slick with Rocker and
guitarist A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselve ...
Earl Slick. Phantom also played with
Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis mad ...
. He later formed Col. Parker with former
Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff ...
guitarist Gilby Clarke, releasing the album ''Rock n Roll Music'' in 2001. Most recently, he has been involved in the eponymous roots-rock band Slim Jim's Phantom Trio; rock-and-roll supergroup Dead Men Walking with Kirk Brandon and Mike Peters, and
Captain Sensible Raymond Ian Burns (born 24 April 1954), known by the stage name Captain Sensible, is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. Captain Sensible co-founded the punk rock band the Damned, originally playing bass before switching to guitar. H ...
; and rockabilly supergroup The Head Cat with Danny B. Harvey and the late
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...
vocalist and bassist
Lemmy Ian Fraser Kilmister (24 December 1945 – 28 December 2015), better known as Lemmy Kilmister or simply Lemmy, was an English musician. He was the founder, lead singer, bassist and primary songwriter of the rock band Motörhead, of which he w ...
. He also hosts the Rockabilly Raveup show on '' Little Steven's Underground Garage''. He was married to actress Britt Ekland from 1984 to 1992 and has a son, T.J. (born 1988), with her. , he is married to
Jennie Vee Jennie Vee is a songwriter, guitarist and bassist from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. She has played bass with Courtney Love, supported Echo and The Bunnymen and the Manic Street Preachers and played with Tamaryn. Vee grew up listening to Hole, ...
, bassist for Eagles of Death Metal. In 2021, he formed a rockabilly band with
Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-s ...
and Chris Cheney.


Discography

*
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
'' (1981) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– '' Gonna Ball'' (1981) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– '' Built for Speed'' (1982) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– '' Rant N' Rave with the Stray Cats'' (1983) * Phantom, Rocker & Slick – ''Phantom, Rocker & Slick'' (1985) * Phantom, Rocker & Slick – ''Cover Girl'' (1986) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''Rock Therapy'' (1986) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''Blast Off!'' (1989) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''Let's Go Faster!'' (1990) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''The Best of the Stray Cats: Rock This Town'' (1990) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''Choo Choo Hot Fish'' (1992) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''Original Cool'' (1993) *Swing Cats – ''Swing Cats'' (1999) *Swing Cats – ''A Special Tribute to Elvis'' (2000) * The Head Cat – ''Lemmy, Slim Jim & Danny B'' (2000) *Swing Cats – ''Swing Cat Stomp'' (2000) *Col Parker – ''Rock N Roll Music'' (2001) *Swing Cats – ''A Rock'A-Billy Christmas (2002) *13 Cats – ''In the Beginning'' (2002) *13 Cats – ''13 Tracks'' (2003) *Dead Men Walking – ''Live at Leeds'' (2003) *Dead Men Walking – ''Live at Darwen'' (2004) *13 Cats – ''In the Beginning 2'' (2004) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''Rumble in Brixton'' (2004) *Dead Men Walking – ''Live at CBGB's New York City'' (2005) *Dead Men Walking – ''Graveyard Smashes Volume 1'' (2006) * The Head Cat – '' Fool's Paradise (2006) * Kat Men – ''Kat Men'' (2006) * The Head Cat – '' Walk the Walk...Talk the Talk'' (2011) * Kat Men – ''The Kat Men Cometh'' (2013) *
Stray Cats Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles ...
– ''40'' (2019)


References


External links

*
Slim Jim Phantom Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2019) {{DEFAULTSORT:Phantom, Slim Jim 1961 births Living people Stray Cats members American expatriates in the United Kingdom American rock drummers American rockabilly musicians Musicians from Brooklyn People from Massapequa, New York 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Dead Men Walking members The Head Cat members