Dennis Chambers talks about life and near-death

I recently had a chance to sit down with Dennis Chambers for an epic conversation about extraordinary life.

LISTEN HERE

The Trap Set Episode Description:

After a recent, life-threatening health scare, drum legend Dennis Chambers met with Joe for a revealing, comprehensive conversation. Dennis opens up about his mischievous childhood in Baltimore, how he fell in love with music, his time with Parliament/Funkadelic, his obsessive drive for greatness, the legacy of his groundbreaking instructional videos and, of course, his near-death experience. Part 1 of 2–This episode will be continued next week.
 
Good to hear from DC himself what happened while on tour in Spain last year:

http://www.thetrapset.net/060-dennis-chambers-pt-2/

with such drumming celebrities it's often hard to see the genuine person, but this interview seems to be the real Dennis Chambers. He really surprised me at about 29:00, saying he never took himself serious as a drummer (!), so when faced with the prospect of not being able to play again he didn't get depressed and thought of other things he might want to do.

Also his weight loss was apparently not due to the accident but deliberate.
 
I like how Dennis is "bigger" than the drums. He keeps them in their proper place. His identity doesn't live and die based on his drumming. He's got a really healthy outlook. Very down to earth and genuine.

It seems that as a whole, drummers are a very grounded species.
 
Joe,

Love the podcast. Really enjoyed your talk with Dennis Chambers. Really inspiring, and not just about drums.

I also loved the last couple of live shows. Really entertaining and a lot of great drum knowledge.
 
I saw Dennis with Mike Stern last month at the Regatta Bar in Boston. We were like 5 feet from the stage. Unbelievable show. Dennis showed no signs of being sick or near death. Grooved like a madman.... Great communication with the band and in particular, the bass player. These guys were trading off each other, smiling away having a great time.
 
Back
Top