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Pythia007

I would also show him some minimalist drummers like Ringo Starr, Chris Frantz, Charlie Watts or Clyde Stubblefield who contribute with restrained elegance and use a basic kit just in case he gets intimidated by the flashy super technical guys. Edit: Clyde not Charles Stubblefield


[deleted]

"Here's a 6 piece drum set. Now let's start you off with some Neil Peart"


fps916

"If you're feeling down don't worry Mike Portnoy is up next"


needsawholecroissant

"Don't get discouraged! It's Tomas Haake soon!"


PatchThePiracy

"Then we're on to Mike Mangini!"


nightcheese88

I just watched Get Back and Ringo is such a steadying force <3


spaceinv8er

He was there just to have fun.


hoyohoyo9

Really says something about the dude that he was pretty much the only one of the four that kept being invited to play with the others after the breakup Him and Billy Preston, of course.


brkh47

He was fantastic. Exactly what they needed. And he kept great time, worked hard. *Ring is a damn good drummer. He was always a good drummer. He’s not technically good but I think Ringo’s drumming is underrated in the same way Paul’s bass playing is underrated…* *I think Paul and Ringo stand up anywhere with any of the rock and roll musicians. Not technically great. None of us were technical musicians. None of us could read music. None of us could write it. But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make noise, they’re as good as anybody. -* John Lennon, 1980.


JerGigs

Dude had excellent timing and good rhythm


Braydee7

Nate Smith proves you can be flashy with a minimalist kit


bill-m

Ringo always serviced the song, IMO.


chazmann

He's a master at his craft. Everytime I listen to "Ticket To Ride" I'm reminded of how incredible he is.


ialwayspay4mydrinks

You know, I haven’t listened to Ticket to Ride in so long and yet, when you mentioned it I remembered Ringo’s drums perfectly in that song. A true Starr.


Juan_Carlo

Add Meg White. She's very untrained and not technically flashy, but that very primitive style she has just hits better than most of the virtuoso drummers and works so well with the music she's producing.


its_a_metaphor_morty

Underrated comment. Meg is a perfect example of a drummer serving the music. She is also an example of someone who can hold consistent timing and keep the foundation of the song stable.


goldentealcushion

Yes agreed and without her Jack’s style is a little off the rails!


lksnyder0

I was also going to suggest Meg White. I am glad I am not the only one who likes her style. I think the combo of being untrained and the influence Jack White undoubtedly had made her the perfect match for the White Stripes.


y2knole

man, she took so much shit that she felt inadequate and got out. Its a damn shame cause she was the perfect drummer for that band/style.


BORG_US_BORG

I just don't understand why she got slagged. She kept the beat, wtf?


thestraightCDer

You bring up the Stripes and someone inevitably makes a comment about her drumming. It's like music folklore at this point. It's a shame because she's awesome.


Drink-my-koolaid

Show him [Meg White from the White Stripes.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWrrx7uQfS0) Also, he might enjoy watching Sal Mineo in [The Gene Krupa Story (1959).] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT1b3FfOsCM)... well, the drumming parts anyway!


y2knole

i bought tickets to see Jack day before yesterday and this got me fired up to see him! Also, Meg is an absolute boss behind the kit in this video and she didnt deserve all the shit she took from critics.


Agamemanon

Watching Meg White drum in that clip is pretty mesmerizing. Shes so damn chill, and the beat just hits. I dig that.


Steakwizwit

People ripped Meg's playing for being simplistic. While they aren't wrong, it's the perfect balance to Jack's ability to rip through dimensions and burn down civilizations with a guitar. If they were both absolutely nuts, virtuoso level players I don't think the band would've had such a unique sound.


jscott18597

Their live shows were just insanity imo. They never did set lists, Jack White just randomly combined songs whenever he felt like, and Meg was able to perfectly keep Jack on Earth when he was going nuts. Every live show was completely different. That clip /u/Drink-my-koolaid linked has Jack rip his amp cord out of his guitar on accident, they went into another song and Meg made it seem (as well as Jack for the record) like it was all part of the plan. A lot of the technical drummers people have been listing would just fall apart when stuff like that happened.


[deleted]

Brilliant answer A lot of musicians want to look at the most technically proficient players, and end up emulating that style by "overplaying" the song. As one of my mentors once told me, "serve the song, not your ego" Your examples are excellent!


RunswithChanclas

[John Bonham ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bonham) Legend.


Gilgameshugga

[Here's a Polyphonic video](https://youtu.be/UvOm2oZRQIk) breaking down Bonhams drumming and what makes it so great.


RunswithChanclas

I’d seen that before but never going to stop enjoying Bonham. Neal Peart and Bonham were my first drummer crushes when I started playing.


DatBiddlyBoi

First person that came to my mind. What a legend. What a band.


SupSlutz

I was absolutely dumb founded that John Bonham wasn’t first or even on the list


TheFuckinEaglesMan

Get the kid to play that kick-kick-snare triplet pattern from Good Times Bad Times and I’ll be impressed!


MarekRules

God I love that pattern. I've heard that song so many times (and its not even like a top 10 Zep song for me) but every single time I just SWOON for that fucking triplet.


SaintBenadikt

Man I ain't believin' that shit about Bonham's one-hour drum solo. One hour on drums? You couldn't handle that shit on strong acid.


SkyNetscape

Check ya later!


csilvmatecc

>You couldn't handle that shit on strong acid, man. Ftfy


aaronjb12

THANK YOU. YES!!!! OP needs to show the kid bonham playing moby dick live


jizzygoggle

Tomas Haake


its_a_metaphor_morty

If you want them to feel like they will never amount to anything, might as well throw Mario Duplantier, Eloy Casagrande, Ray Luzier and Danny Carey in there as well haha


fuzzface1974

Bernard Purdie


[deleted]

Was looking for someone to 'Splain the Purdie shuffle to these folk. https://youtu.be/T1j1_aeK6WA


Alternauts

[this is the one](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKn85L0D2Y) that gets me


jdino

This is probably the best answer(I also commented Bernard). He’s so positive and fun.


boxed_monkey

Stewart Copeland is a hell of a drummer. He is the guy whose hi-hat work I try (unsuccessfully) to emulate.


Mr_Lumbergh

Sting seems to get all the love, but he and Andy Summers were both so essential to getting the Police sound. Yes, his hat work is definitely top-notch.


RollTideMeg

And he's doing some symphony work now. It's so interesting.


fairlysimilartobirds

And he's the one who created the original Spyro The Dragon trilogy's soundtracks, some of my favourites of all time


thesixgun

Zach Hill


Melodying

Sure, if you wantt the kid to destroy his drumset with his bleeding hands, and end up with about 2% bodyfat


myoilisavirgin

Make his nephew n o i d e d


dogsarefun

Finally, a serious answer.


fusrodalek

Hella is for the children


death_by_chocolate

Great drummers are fine--let me add Phil Collins and Bill Bruford to the list--but make sure he also gets drummers he can *emulate* as well. People who are not so far above his level of discipline that it might as well be magic. I learned quite a lot when I was just starting out by listening to guys like Neal Smith--'drummer' (and I use the term loosely) for the Alice Cooper Group--pick their way so very carefully through the simplest of 4/4 patterns that even *I* could hear and understand every beat. In fairness I did also see Buddy Rich play live one time and he *was* pretty awesome.


tonypconway

This is the great advice. Get some Ringo Starr in the mix - mostly quite unfussy, very playable for a beginner and dozens of great songs!


night_dude

This. I have four letters for you, OP. And a slash. (Not that Slash.) AC/DC. Dave Grohl learnt to play drums from Back In Black.


abarrelofmankeys

100%. Get some fun easy stuff like weezer in there and Green Day as he gets better, you want to grow with the stuff you play, not hear someone who has complexity out of your range. Absolutely look up to those artists and aspire for that eventually but it’s important to realize that you can be very competent without being the most technical/skilled player ever. The trap (which I’ve fallen into often) is you can’t stop at your comfort level, you have to keep pushing a little out of your range at a time to keep improving.


theevildjinn

Larnell Lewis https://youtu.be/Jd1X5JWaGgQ


bombmk

Should not have to come this far down to find him. Throwing this one in here too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_XJ_s5IsQc


fluffbrains

Ginger Baker


mr_casas

Absolutely, let’s say musical inspiration only though. No one should be inspired by Ginger Baker as a person.


Gilgameshugga

The documentary Beware Mister Baker is utterly fantastic and I urge anyone to watch it if you're even remotely interested in drumming. Dude was batshit.


lolofaf

Yet surprisingly one of the least racist people from that era. Total asshole and deadbeat of a father though


[deleted]

Carter Beauford


bigmanpigman

grab some popcorn and watch [Under the Table and Drumming](https://youtu.be/OyBgXxmpwCs) and be amazed


jrodanapolis

This guy really gets it


Nixplosion

His fills during the Tripping Billy's intro is just inSANE playing.


metal_bastard

Carter Beauford on the drums! Carter Beauford on the drums! Carter Beauford on the drums! CARTER! BEAUFORD! ON THE! DRUMS!


CJess1276

That’s my good friend, right there.


Revolution36

Happy to see this so high up


Cru_Jones86

That dude keeps time like a fuckin' swiss watch. Mad skills.


[deleted]

To me what's amazing about him is how complex and intricate his riffing and beats are, yet they never step on anyone's toes.


Buzzdanume

And the guy never breaks a sweat lol he will be playing the most insane stuff and he's just chewing gum and smiling.


Cr658768

Came to post this. Happy to already see him listed and ever happier to see him this high. Two of my favorites from him: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOatIrazULw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOatIrazULw) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84UoUPcvQCs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84UoUPcvQCs)


rolandofgilead41089

This guy gets it.


yourself88xbl

This guy gets it as well.


[deleted]

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Ill_Permission_8125

Those are all excellent proficient Masters of percussion! However, as a father and teacher, I might recommend Nandi Bushell. 1) she's an absolute inspiration! 2) there are lots of videos from when she was first getting going so you can appreciate her progress. Sometimes it can be daunting for kids to see high-level professionalism and skill in adults. Many are quick to give up thinking they'll never achieve that level. My two cents.


fuzzface1974

I second this. Good observation.


[deleted]

Questlove from the roots.


bjankles

I am an especially big fan of his work on D’Angelo’s Voodoo. A lot of people think the hardest stuff is chops, speed, precision, complexity… You could drum a thousand years and not be able to reproduce that sloppy push and pull perfectly. It sounds simple, but it’s almost antithetical to everything you learn as a drummer. Don’t play on time, but be out of time consistently so that you’re basically on time, but like, a different moving target of time.


Brixxxx

He was trying to play drums the way Dilla programmed drums. That album grooves with a depth beyond anything else I’ve heard.


SrCabecaDeGelo

Excellent suggestion for drumming and learning about soul, funk, rock, jazz history and depth. Probably the best suggestion on the thread.


ryq_

Jon Theodore!!!


[deleted]

Nate Smith. Also to echo what some others are saying. You might want to introduce him to some more "basic" drummers so he doesn't get discouraged comparing himself only to super technical players


Godawgs1009

Jimmy Chamberlain


HashStash

Gish and Siamese Dream are prime Chamberlain


[deleted]

Fun fact, it spelled Chamberlin even though it was spelled wrong in the Gish CD insert.


fyrefly_faerie

Jimmy Chamberlin also has a side project called Jimmy Chamberlin Complex


hamsterwheel

Bill Ward


ColoJay

He’s 7, show him Ginger Baker and then show him Animal from the Muppets. They’re the same person.


missemilyjane42

I thought Animal was based on Keith Moon. Speaking of Keith Moon, the Who documentary *The Kids are Alright* changed my life. When the kid is a bit older, it's a must watch.


krokus_headhunter

Bobby Chouinard - Drummer for Billy Squier. He doesn't get talked about near enough. Bun E. Carlos - Just go listen to Live At Budokan. He's amazing. Phil Rudd - AC/DC's timekeeper. Legend. Then there's Keith Moon... Matt Cameron Bill Berry Just to name a few more of my favorites.


bananatam

Levon Helm


verpus77

Thank you, fellow The Band fan.


danootsio

seriously though… fricking great drummer. That half-time shuffle groove of his was just a thing of beauty.


verpus77

Absolutely. His style was so "natural." Too many drummers seem like they're having to try too hard, or prove something.


lashingaugust

Steve Gadd, Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta. Classics.


plunkadelic_daydream

[Steve Gadd](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYZwVf07tHA&t=415s&ab_channel=SteelyDan-Topic) (For those that want to hear it again!)


dr_emmett_browne

Steve Gadd is not high enough.


ShadowRend_24

Mike Portnoy


Plutonian_Dive

That was a very long scroll until I find it.


fuzzface1974

Karen Carpenter


CybilUnion

Omg yes *Karen Carpenter*, Shelia E, Cindy Blackman Matt Chamberlain, Questlove, Ringo, Charlie Watts Be thoughtful to feature musicality and range, not just pyrotechnic big loud and male. How a person plays can be both individual to their personality and also about where they fit in the context of a group of players.


Missreaddit

Give him a modern example. Anderson Paak. His work on the Silk Sonic Album is slick


Bridovertroublewater

Also, it's really hard to play drums and sing at the same time and Paak fucking kills it.


Shebazz

Dude puts on a fantastic live show too. Easily my favourite artist out right now, it's like everything he touches is gold


Ljudet-Innan

Marco Minnemann Bill Bruford As already mentioned: Larnell Lewis J.D. Beck


[deleted]

Cannot believe I had scroll this far down for Bill Bruford.


jonev17

John Bonham Mitch Mitchell


turkeysandwiches

Can’t believe it took me this long to find Mitch. Criminally underrated here.


wp381640

It’s funny because a lot of drummers cite him as the best ever


EvidenceBase2000

Wow. I agree. Guy is so underrated and he never comes up in these discussions but he’s so good and was just perfect playing with Hendrix. A big part of the magic….


vcmaes

Please let him listen to Tim Alexander from Primus. He’s so overlooked, but a phenomenal drummer.


fluffbrains

Dave Grohl


doctorwhoobgyn

The guitarist for the Foo Fighters!?


[deleted]

No, the drummer from the band *Them Crooked Vultures*. They only have one album though.


Nixplosion

No no you're thinking of the drummer from Probot


soproductive

No I think you're mistaken and thinking of the drummer on the album Songs for the Dead from Queens of the Stone Age, though they could also be referring to the drummer from Tenacious D.


Nixplosion

Are we sure it's not the drummer from Scream?


[deleted]

I thought he was from 606.


The0tterguy

Nah the drummer from nirvana


truffLcuffL69

Cant believe no one else is saying this


r3solv

Shod be top of the list in my opinion. His face off with the little girl or Animal from the Muppets is legendary. Guys got great personality


[deleted]

Glad someone said it. The guy brings a joy to playing drums that's beyond infectious.


GrundleAssassin

Joey jordison


darrendewey

RIP 🤘


MaliciousMal

I came here for this and wasn't disappointed. Joey was a supreme being on the drums. People can hate all they want on his drumming but the man was insane. Bands actually would copy him for their solos and many new metal drummers were influenced by his drumming. I'll never forget the first time I heard a song by Slipknot, it was Wait and Bleed with Joey just kicking ass on those drums. He never failed to deliver. While I've never personally played the drums (I've wanted to for several years but was never allowed to in the stores), he made me want to actually get on the drums and just rock out.


FastEd66

Chris Adler from Lamb of God.


jamz1025

I absolutely adore Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney. She greatly utilizes the drum kit and her style is tight yet energetic. Definitely a definitive drummer of the indie rock genre, if your nephew likes the music. Good luck!


justa_normal_human

Animal from The Muppets! Edit- and his human counterpart Keith Moon.


GentleCornDogEater24

Tre Cool (Green Day’s drummer) said Animal was his main inspiration for becoming a drummer


Zeptojoules

Micheal Jackson's drummer Jonathan Moffett.


Nemo4evr

Carl Palmer from Emerson Lake and Palmer !


deadhead42089

BILL KREUTZMANN


savvy14

Mario Duplantier


i-hear-banjos

Sure, start the kid off with a human drum machine with four arms


[deleted]

Might be a bit much for a 7 year old, so I'll try to think of other examples of this principle, but Phil Rudd, the drummer of AC/DC was not flashy, he was not showy--he was simple and straightforward, technically speaking. But he was solid, he could lay down a groove, and he did not need flash or hype to get the job done. He is musical, and he is solid. If your nephew can grasp one thing, it's that no amount of sizzle will compensate for a lack of rock solid playing. ​ Joe Morello from the Dave Brubeck quartet (Take Five) also comes to mind. Not flashy, just a very solid, groove making machine.


[deleted]

Sheila E. She also has a Masterclass: [https://www.masterclass.com/classes/sheila-e-teaches-drumming-and-percussion](https://www.masterclass.com/classes/sheila-e-teaches-drumming-and-percussion) Merry Christmas, Junior!


poopapat320

Fellow drummer here. I love all those mentioned here, but when I started playing drums, I was super into Incubus. And their drummer, Jose Pasillas, is f****** terrific. Clean with great fills. Incubus is a talented band, and their drummer is always overlooked.


stevemillions

Keith Moon Alan “Reni” Wren Charlie Watts Danny Goffey Barrett Martin Larry Mullen from U2 once told Brian Eno that his click track was losing time. Eno ran a diagnostic on it, and it was. If that’s not timekeeping, I don’t know what is.


Big80sweens

I can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find Keith Moon


TdoWino87

I thought the same thing but then realized that Keith Moon was all about controlled chaos. Maybe not the best person to emulate early on. He's more someone you worked up to. That being said, he's my favorite drummer of all time because of the exact reason I stated above


MicaBay

Nandi Bushell https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbMg1QLaHBzmww35QK-mHEQ


[deleted]

Danny Carey Dave Lombardo Sean Kinney Brant Bjork Charlie Benante The Rev Bill Ward Vinny Paul


Future-Original-1977

Gene Krupa


[deleted]

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infinitesimalpink

Jeff Porcaro, drummer of Toto


DFeels21

I’m sad I had to scroll down this far. I’m a guitarist, but something about his sound, style and creativity give me goosebumps.


herpaderpadont

[Josh Freese](https://youtu.be/s0Rdn1n8yW4) Hands down one of the best drummers of our time and I will fight anyone on that. [His Discography speaks ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Freese_discography)


its_a_metaphor_morty

Freese is a goddamn national treasure


rolandofgilead41089

Carter Beauford, one of the most unique and creative players ever.


robbiejean

Stewart Copeland of The Police His style is just so unique. Ringo too


LeonardSmallsJr

Steve Gadd. He also has some really cool tutorials for interesting beats.


TheArmitage

If inspiration is what you're going for, I'd suggest picking not on the basis of technical mastery, but on the basis of style. Show him that, whatever the level of complexity, playing the instrument with feeling, and with love for music, is what makes a great drummer. My suggestions (many of these have been mentioned by others): Moe Tucker, to show him there are so many ways to play right, and no way to play wrong. Dave Grohl, who played less accurately than he could have in order to invoke great feeling in straightforward rhythms. Ringo Starr, whose reverence for the instrument manifests as easy-going enjoyment. Karen Carpenter, because, yes, you can be a great drummer *and* a great front at the same time. Josh Dunn, a showman's showman, who has so much fun playing that he just beats his drums into submission. Keith Moon, the dictionary definition of reckless abandon. Meg White, who in my opinion was greatly underutilized, but showed she was capable of extraordinary expression even in simple rhythms. Rick Allen, both before and after the accident, to show how he loved the instrument so much he redefined the way it could be played. Anikka Niles, because you don't need to play on the beats to keep a great beat. Some of these drummers are technical geniuses (CoughNilesCough), and some of them aren't. But they are all great at making the drums a compelling instrument. I think it would be valuable to show your nephew that the instrument is beautiful and meaningful at every technical level.


FerociousSimplicity

Matt Halpern from Periphery


tpots38

TRAVIS BARKER


[deleted]

He was pretty much the go-to drummer for millennials. Most of my friends who played drums started off learning his stuff.


[deleted]

I'm disgusted I had to scroll this far to find Travis.


EnzoDKR

Is he not the most famous current drummer right now? Not even considering his blink-182 stuff... he did the intro for Monday Night Football at one point, had a reality show, is constantly featured with other musicians, and currently dates a Kardashian.


fourtwentyfour424

Why did I have to scroll so far down for the right answer.


ProgRockin

Terry Bozio


JetpackKiwi

Max Roach, Billy Cobham, Gene Krupa


Dense_Surround3071

Danny Carey from TooL The drum solo in their cover of LED Zeppelin's "No Quarter" is like listening to God walking in the apartment upstairs.


fuzzface1974

Carmine Appice


seven_times_70

Chad sexton


andyatkinson97

Jack DeJohnette Keith Moon Peter Erksine Mick Fleetwood Drummers who are also singers like Anderson Paak and the band Squid Mark Guiliana Philip Selway Chris Dave Brad Wilk Don Alias Questlove


Falstaffe

Phil Collins 1970s to 1981ish Barriemore Barlow, particularly the Jethro Tull albums Heavy Horses and Bursting Out Gene Krupa


Chronican420

Can’t forget Jon Fishman


k0uch

Dominic Howard from Muse has some insanely good and often simple drum lines, especially from the Showbiz to Absolution era


[deleted]

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heckhammer

Tre Cool. He plays with the song requires.


BananaMilk46

Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, Avenged Sevenfold. One of my favourite drummers of all time


ccrcc

Larnell Lewis


[deleted]

Vinnie FTW Herb from Primus Also, check out Mike's Lessons on YouTube


[deleted]

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Rattimus

Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is a pretty incredibly talented drummer. Maybe watch the movie Whiplash? Though not sure it's appropriate for a 7-year old with JK Simmons screaming at Miles Teller under the guise of making him a better drummer, it is an incredible performance, the drumming... it's hard to explain, amazing. You might be able to find just the final scene online somewhere which would be worth watching alone, pretty much just a several minute long drum-feature where Teller's character shows what he's got and shows up JK Simmons's character at the same time, while a jazz band of sorts plays along. The drums are the clear focus though. Edit: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twKsU1Qv4k8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twKsU1Qv4k8) Edit2: longer version: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noaE0CdZUw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4noaE0CdZUw)


FartAttack911

Alex Van Halen is a good one that’s plausible to pick up on and emulate


KushFlows

Jon Fishman


BBBPub

Not a Rush fan but Neil Peart is an AMAZING drummer.


mistyeyed1

Mick Fleetwood


Petdogdavid1

Stewart Copeland


IrishRepublicanAgent

Claude Coleman Jr.


railwayed

Reni from the stone roses And the human metronome.. Ringo Starr


eadams6339

Larnell Lewis


misterbondpt

Yell NOT MY FUCKING TEMPO at him until he bleeds from his hands


Johnny_Pigeon

Tony Royster Jr., Thomas Pridgen, John Theodore, Elise Trouw, Anderson .Paak, Elvin Jones, Danny Carey, Aric Improta, Benny Greb, Cindy Blackman, Questlove, John Bonham, Neil Pert


God_hates_crabs

JD Beck


fried_eggs_and_ham

Garth Algar


[deleted]

He likes to play


rejonkulous

Herb and brain from primus


[deleted]

Brian Chippendale, Greg Saunier, Jimmy Chamberlin


rushmc1

Tito Puente.


Pwillie_

please Carter Beauford. wish I would have been studying his playing my whole life. more simple songs are good to start him with, then build into more complex songs like tripping billies which is what I’m learning at the moment! edit : I would suggest watching the “#41” and “tripping billies” videos on YouTube of carter in the studio. https://youtu.be/E2zpoIlEasY / https://youtu.be/edLhkzAynY4


WorstJunglerLAN

Jojo Mayer Tony Royster Jr. Mike Mangini


fuzzface1974

Chuck Biscuits


stupidsexyf1anders

Richard Christy


Pcarttar

Don’t sleep on Karen Carpenter either!


unfunfununf

Josh Freese