Famous Drummers from the United States

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Updated October 14, 2018675 items

List of notable or famous drummers from the United States, with bios and photos, including the top drummers born in the United States and even some popular drummers who immigrated to the United States. If you're trying to find out the names of famous American drummers then this list is the perfect resource for you. These drummers are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known drummer from the United States is included when available.

List ranges from Stevie Wonder to Buddy Rich, plus much more.

This historic drummers from the United States list can help answer the questions "Who are some American drummers of note?" and "Who are the most famous drummers from the United States?" These prominent drummers of the United States may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected American drummers.

Use this list of renowned American drummers to discover some new drummers that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page. {#nodes}
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  • Stevie Wonder
    • Birthplace: Michigan, USA, Saginaw
    Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950), better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. A prominent figure in popular music, he is one of the most successful musicians of the 20th century. Wonder's "classic period", between 1972 and 1977, is noted for his funky keyboard style, personal control of production, and series of songs integrated with one another to make a concept album.Blind since shortly after his birth, Wonder was a child prodigy known as Little Stevie Wonder leading him to sign with Motown's Tamla label at the age of 11. In 1963, the single "Fingertips" was a No. 1 hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 when Wonder was aged 13, making him the youngest artist ever to top the chart. Wonder started his "classic period" with Music of My Mind and Talking Book (both 1972), the latter of which featured the No. 1 hit "Superstition". It is one of the most distinctive and famous examples of the sound of the Hohner Clavinet keyboard. Innervisions (1973) won Album of the Year at the 16th Grammy Awards. Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) also won Album of the Year at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards. Songs in the Key of Life (1976) won Album of the Year at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards, making Wonder, along with Frank Sinatra, the most Album of the Year's winner with three. He is also the only artist to have won the award with three consecutive album releases. Wonder's 1970s albums are regarded as very influential; the Rolling Stone Record Guide said they "pioneered stylistic approaches that helped to determine the shape of pop music for the next decade".Wonder has sold over 100 million records worldwide, which placed him among the best-selling music artists of all time. He has won 25 Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all time. He was the first Motown artist and second African-American musician to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song, for the 1984 film The Woman in Red. Wonder was inducted into the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
  • Jason Schwartzman
    • Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
    Jason Francesco Schwartzman (born June 26, 1980) is an American actor, screenwriter, executive producer, and musician. He is known for his frequent collaborations with Wes Anderson, such as Rushmore (1998), The Darjeeling Limited (2007), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and Isle of Dogs (2018). He also starred in other films, such as Slackers (2002), Spun (2003), I Heart Huckabees (2004), Shopgirl (2005), Marie Antoinette (2006), Funny People (2009), Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and Saving Mr. Banks (2013). In addition to his film work, Schwartzman was the star of the HBO series Bored to Death (2009–2011), in which he played a writer who moonlights as an unlicensed private detective by advertising himself on Craigslist. He currently releases music through his solo project Coconut Records, and was formerly the drummer of rock band Phantom Planet.
  • Nick Jonas

    Nick Jonas

    Age: 31
    • Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, USA
    Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting in theater at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002 which caught the attention of Columbia Records where Jonas formed a band with his older brothers, Joe and Kevin, known as the Jonas Brothers. The group released their debut studio album It's About Time through the Columbia label in 2006. After leaving Columbia Records and signing with Hollywood Records, the group released their self-titled second studio album in 2007, which became their breakthrough record. The band became prominent figures on the Disney Channel during this time, gaining a large following through the network and they appeared in the widely successful musical television film Camp Rock (2008) and its sequel Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010) as well as two of their own series, Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream (2008–2010) and Jonas (2009–2010). The band's third studio album, A Little Bit Longer (2008), saw continued commercial success for the group; the album's lead single "Burnin' Up" hit the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Following the release of their fourth studio album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009), the Jonas Brothers confirmed a hiatus. Nick formed a new band known as Nick Jonas & the Administration, who released the album Who I Am in 2010. Afterward, Jonas shifted his focus to acting and had a recurring role on the television series Smash. After the group's official disbandment in 2013, Jonas began work on his second solo studio album, signing with Island Records and releasing Nick Jonas through the label in 2014, which saw the commercial success of the single "Jealous". Jonas later co-founded Safehouse Records, a record label in conjunction with the Island and Hollywood labels. His third studio album Last Year Was Complicated (2016) peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Following the release, Jonas won the Songwriters Hall of Fame's Hal David Starlight Award in 2016. In 2017, Jonas appeared in the adventure comedy film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which became the fifth highest-grossing film of the year. In 2018, Jonas married Indian actress and singer Priyanka Chopra.
  • Adam Goldstein

    Adam Goldstein

    Dec. at 36 (1973-2009)
    • Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    Adam Michael Goldstein (March 30, 1973 – August 28, 2009), known professionally as DJ AM, was an American disc jockey (DJ). Born in Philadelphia, Goldstein became interested in deejaying as a child after watching Herbie Hancock perform his 1983 single "Rockit". Goldstein developed a drug addiction as a teenager and was sent to the controversial rehabilitation center Straight, Incorporated. After he left the center, his drug problems became worse; he was addicted to crack cocaine for several years in his early twenties. After he attempted suicide in 1997, Goldstein became sober and later sponsored other addicts through Alcoholics Anonymous. Goldstein began deejaying in clubs in Los Angeles and joined the band Crazy Town in 1999. He left the group in 2001 and focused on a career as a solo DJ. After he began dating Nicole Richie in 2003, his career skyrocketed. In 2006, he accepted a $1 million contract to perform weekly at Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas strip and was also charging upwards of $10,000 for private events. In 2008 Goldstein and Travis Barker formed the duo TRV$DJAM. Barker and Goldstein were the only two survivors of the 2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash, which killed the other four people on board. Goldstein appeared as himself in several television series, contributed mixes to and portrayed a playable character in the video game DJ Hero, and filmed a cameo appearance for Iron Man 2. Goldstein hosted the 2009 MTV drug intervention series Gone Too Far, and he appeared to be struggling with his addiction during filming. On August 28, 2009, he was found dead in his New York City apartment from a drug overdose. The DJ AM Memorial Fund, an organization designed to help people struggling with drug addiction, was launched in his memory by his sister, and Iron Man 2, which was released in 2010, was dedicated to him.
  • Lars Ulrich
    • Birthplace: Copenhagen, Gentofte Municipality, Denmark
    Lars Ulrich (; Danish: [laːs ˈulˀʁæk]; born 26 December 1963) is a Danish musician, songwriter, record producer and podcaster. He is best known as the drummer and co-founder of the American heavy metal band Metallica. The son of tennis player Torben Ulrich and grandson of tennis player Einer Ulrich, he also played tennis in his youth and moved to Los Angeles at age 16 to train professionally. However, rather than playing tennis, Ulrich began playing drums. After publishing an advertisement in The Recycler, Ulrich met vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and formed Metallica. Along with Hetfield, Ulrich has songwriting credits on all of the band's songs. He was the face of the band during the Napster controversy. Later in his career Ulrich began hosting the It's Electric podcast, in which he speaks with other prominent musicians.
  • Dave Grohl

    Dave Grohl

    Age: 54
    • Birthplace: Warren, Ohio, USA
    David Eric Grohl (born January 14, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, musician and director. He is the founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter of the rock band Foo Fighters since 1994, and was the best known and longest-serving drummer for Nirvana from late 1990 to early 1994, when Nirvana disbanded following the death of Kurt Cobain. Grohl is also the drummer and co-founder of the rock supergroup Them Crooked Vultures, and wrote the music and performed all the instruments for his short-lived side projects Late! and Probot. He has also recorded and frequently tours with rock band Queens of the Stone Age. Foo Fighters meld melodic elements with heavier ones, and have found worldwide success and won multiple awards, most notably with four of their albums winning Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album. Grohl established himself as a highly appreciated drummer with Nirvana and in 2014 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside bandmates Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic in the group's first year of eligibility. In 2010, Grohl was described by Ken Micallef, co-author of the book Classic Rock Drummers, as one of the most influential rock musicians of the previous 20 years.