That Would Be Me

Book excerpt: Today is a day I've been dreading for a long time. Sitting here watching the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Oilers playoff game out of the corner of my eye, I realize that I cannot procrastinate the starting of this book any longer. My goal has been to write this book for at least the last fifteen years, but I wanted someone else to do the dirty work. That is just not going to happen. I'm stuck with this mess and it's up to me and me alone. I lived in the rock-and-roll world for more than twenty years as the drummer for some of the most famous people in the business. I've also had the pleasure of sitting in, backing up, and knowing some of the all-time greats. However, I've seen these people from a little different angle than anyone else . . . from center stage, looking at you, the audience. I used to joke and say, "I've seen the back of some of the most famous heads in the world. That's a fact. My musical career started as the drummer with a young singer from Dallas, Texas by the name of Trini Lopez. We were together for almost eight years. That collaboration took me to Los Angeles, California. My recordings with Trini include eight albums, starting with Trini Lopez "LIVE" at PJ'S. It was in L.A. that I hooked up with an Italian kid from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His name was John Ramistella, better known as Johnny Rivers. During my time with Johnny, I had the incredible opportunity of spending time in Viet Nam in 1966 with Ann-Margret. We are still friends today. Eat your heart out! After the stint with Johnny came perhaps the ultimate musical challenge. I became the drummer with the legendary kid from Hibbing, Minnesota, the spokesman for the world of folk music, Bob Dylan and the group that started out as The Hawks and later became known as The Band. At a recent speaking engagement for a Bob Dylan convention in Manchester, England, I was introduced as the drummer on the greatest rock-and-roll tour in history.