Drummers with longest tenure in a working band

bermuda

bermuda

Drummerworld Pro Drummer - Administrator
Staff member
What living drummers have been working continuously with the same band (or artist) the longest? That is, no splitting up and then reuniting 25 years later - they have to be currently working with that band/artist. So, Joey Kramer doesn't count, and Charlie Watts is gone. :( And they don't have to be the original drummer.

I'll put myself at the bottom of the list at 44 years with Weird Al (and 43 years with Americana artist Rip Masters.)

Off the top of my head, Larry Mullen Jr. with U2 is at 48 years.

It doesn't have to be anyone famous, if some of the older members here have been playing is the same band on a local level, that counts too. :)
 
I was going to post Clem Burke who has been with Blondie forever, but they did break up for a period in the 80's.
 
Jerry Gaskill - Kings X since 85 I think...
Charlie Benante - Anthrax - since 82ish I think
Nicko McBrain - Iron Maiden - since 82
Tyler Stewart - Barenaked Ladies - since late 80's
Chad Smith - RHCP - since 88...
Lars - Metallica - since 81
Alex VanHalen - since 76
 
There have been periods of inactivity, but Mick Fleetwood has been playing in his namesake band since 1967.

Rick Allen has been a Def Leppard since 1977.

Ian Paice is the only person to play on each of Deep Purple's records (dating to '68), though they broke up from 1976-1984 (and he joined another color-named band, Whitesnake).
 
Cesar Zuiderwyjk, Golden Earring, 51 years total. The band broke up in 2021 due to an incurable illness afflicting the guitarist.

I'd say that was a steady job for him. We should all be so lucky.
 
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Longest I can think of is one of the most underrated drummers of the 60s. Bobby Elliot of the Hollies. 60 plus years and still going strong.

Nigel Olsen has been with Elton John since 1970.

Was going to say Don Powell from Slade but Dave Hill sacked him a couple of years ago. That's going back to the mid 60s when they used to practice at my Dad's school
 
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mikyok said:
Longest I can think of is one of the most underrated drummers of the 60s. Bobby Elliot of the Hollies. 60 plus years and still going strong.

Nigel Olsen has been with Elton John since 1970.

Was going to say Don Powell from Slade but Dave Hill sacked him a couple of years ago. That's going back to the mid 60s when they used to practice at my Dad's school
Click to expand...
Roger Pope replaced Nigel Olsen for a period in the late 70s ("Rock of the Westies" album).
 
mikyok said:
Longest I can think of is one of the most underrated drummers of the 60s. Bobby Elliot of the Hollies. 60 plus years and still going strong.

Nigel Olsen has been with Elton John since 1970.

Was going to say Don Powell from Slade but Dave Hill sacked him a couple of years ago. That's going back to the mid 60s when they used to practice at my Dad's school
Click to expand...
Charlie Morgan was Elton Johns drummer between 1985 and 1998.
Nigel  Olsson returned after that period.
 
I win !!
I have been playing with my garage band since 1964. 60 years. We just played together again last weekend.
Granted we never became famous and two if the six members have died. But we still get together and play every year for our annual party in Burbank, Ca.

.
 
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