There are countless famous musicians who passed away too soon. They all made a massive impact on the music industry and many of them are still being listened to today. The drum community, in particular, has lost many of its leading innovators.
We’re going to have a look at some deceased drummers and explain why they made such a big impact on the evolution of drumming.
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Clem Burke
“Clem Burke wasn’t just a drummer; he was the heart of Blondie.” Those words belong to the woman he called his elder sister, Debby Harry, Blondie’s singer and frontwoman.
Well, when Clem joined in 1974, he was only 18, and the band was about to disband. It was his youthful energy, endless charisma, and drumming skills that made him the beating heart of every smash hit. Plus, he could play it all, so he allowed the rest of the band to go from punk to new age to disco.
Clem didn’t just play with Blondie, he played with Iggy Pop, Pete Townshend, Eurythmics, Joan Jett, and Bob Dylan. Moreover, he was once Elvis Ramone when he joined the band. Johnny kicked him off after just two shows. He was too colorful for The Ramones.
Clem Burke passed away after a long and private battle with cancer at age 70 on April 8, 2025. His legacy and his music, though, will live on forever.
Thommy Price
Every great punk rock band has its foundations in a powerful, up-tempo drummer. That was Thommy Price. He was what you call a drummer’s drummer. One of those players who has such a refined taste for arrangements and fills that they just feel natural to the song, like they’ve been there since the beginning.
Although he could fool the common ear as just a solid punk drummer, his peers revered his style. He was the driving force behind Billy Idol’s breakthrough record, Rebel Yell, and played through the entire tour in 1983.
Price joined Joan Jett and the Blackhearts in 1987 and remained their drummer until 2017, both live and in the studio. He played with everyone from Roger Daltrey to The Psychedelic Furs, and even Debbie Harry’s solo work.
He was a drumming force, a true legend behind the skins, and he will be missed.
He passed away on October 10, 2025. He was 68 years old.
Aaron Rossi
Industrial rock and heavy metal share one characteristic: their pounding rhythm. Aaron Rossi’s nickname was “The Beast,” so he was the man for the job before even sitting in the kit.
His relentless style and perfect tempo went well with the complex, rhythm-heavy compositions of two of the biggest industrial rock bands of all time: Prog and Ministry. Well, Rossi was the drumming force behind both projects. He provided the steady base for the band to take off into the unknown.
He passed away from a sudden and severe heart-attack on January 27, 2025. He was only 44 years old.
As legendary Al Jourgensen said, “Keep pounding that snare in the great beyond.”
Aaron Spears
In the arena of Pop and R&B drumming, few were as influential as the late Aaron Spears. To say he was a preferred drummer for up-and-coming pop acts is an understatement.
He enhanced the groove for artists like Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber. He even earned a Grammy nomination for his work on Usher’s multi-diamond album, Confessions, in 2004.
Tragically, he passed away on October 31, 2023, at the age of 47.
Aaron’s work as a producer also deserves recognition. He earned praise from Questlove of The Roots and Usher, who said Aaron was the closest thing to a hip-hop drum machine but with soul.
Check him out laying down this super tight groove for Ariana Grande’s “Bad Idea”.
Les Binks
When Les Binks first sat behind a drum kit, he was five years old. The year was 1952, and we lived in a different world. He could never have guessed what was coming for him. One day, he would bash those skins in front of thousands of screaming fans.
It was during the seventies that he started playing as a session musician in London. He slowly gained a reputation and ended up being part of Judas Priest, with whom he recorded Stained Class in 1978, Killing Machine in 1979, and their live album, Unleashed in the East, from that same year.
His tenure was short, but its effect was profound. He was a drummer who could hit hard and precisely, a one-of-a-kind meeting between brutality and refined taste.
He passed away peacefully in a hospital bed in London on March 15, 2025. He was 73 years old.
Jack DeJohnette
Musicians are often judged for their ability to go beyond the boundaries of what’s accepted in a musical style. Well, Jack DeJohnette was a natural-born innovator who could transcend genres to serve the song.
He was just as loose as he was accurate, and his fills were nothing short of memorable.
That unique blend of styles landed him gigs with some of the biggest names in jazz, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Pat Metheny, Bill Evans, and Keith Jarrett, among many others.
His flexibility and impeccable taste allowed him to go from a small pulse to a roaring force. He was a sought-after companion to set out on a journey to the unknown.
Jack DeJohnette passed away on October 25th, 2025, but his bold spirit will continue to drive generations of jazz players to venture into the unknown.
Fred White
I don’t think there’s a single person reading this who hasn’t bobbed their head or flat out jumped out of their seats at a party to dance to the great groove of Earth, Wind & Fire’s song “September”.
That right there is the contribution of their legendary drummer, Fred White.
Along with his family members, bassist Verdine and singer Maurice White, he was the backbone of the band.
His brother Verdine called him a child prodigy and played with him since his early years, training him to always be grooving with the bass.
Maurice White, who is also a prolific drummer, eventually brought Fred in to cover the more complex grooves as the band expanded.
Other classic grooves he contributed to were “Boogie Wonderland” and most recently, Diana Ross’ “Thank You”.
Throughout his long career, he won 6 Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Philip Bailey, also a vocalist of EW&F, posted a loving tribute upon his death.
He died on January 2, 2023. He was 67 years old.
Jeremiah Green
I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Jeremiah Green from Modest Mouse. He was one of the most original drummers in indie rock.
I’ve always appreciated their music, but my interest heightened when Johnny Marr from The Smiths joined in 2006.
Many musicians, including Maggie Rogers and Patrick Carney from The Black Keys, have praised him for his unique style in emo rock. His innovative beats have significantly influenced bands we listen to today, such as The Black Keys and Arcade Fire.
On Christmas Day in 2022, his mother shared the heartbreaking news that his oral cancer had advanced to Stage 4.
He tragically passed away on New Year’s Eve, just a week later, at the age of 45.
Here’s a mix of some of his best tracks.
Taylor Hawkins
When the greatest rock drummer of the ‘90s calls you to play drums in his new band, you know you must be someone special. Taylor Hawkins is best known as the drummer for massive rock band Foo Fighters, fronted by ex-Nirvana man Dave Grohl.
Hawkins, however, had an illustrious career before, and during, his time with the Foo Fighters. He played drums for Alanis Morisette and Sylvia, and found time to form side projects like Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders.
Tragically, Hawkins died on tour in Colombia in March 2022. The mammoth Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts, which took place in late 2022 in LA and London, were testament to the drummer’s legacy and talent.
Joey Jordison
Legendary Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison was, until his untimely death in 2021, one of the leading drummers in heavy metal. Jordison’s brutal, powerful playing style was a major feature of Slipknot’s meteoric rise from nu-metal upstarts to bona fide rock royalty around the turn of the century.
Joey Jordison’s influence on modern metal drums cannot be overstated. He was, in 2010, voted the best drummer of the previous quarter-century. Jordison was regularly received with metal and drumming accolades while he was alive.
Sadly, Joey Jordison battled illness during the later years of his life. A spinal cord condition impacted his life and ability to play drums from around 2010 onwards.
It was testament to Jordison’s willpower and musicianship that, despite the loss of use of his left leg, he was able to learn to play drums again through rehabilitation.
Sadly, Joey Jordison passed away in his sleep, aged 46, in 2021.
Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts manned the throne for the Rolling Stones for almost sixty years. Watts was originally a jazz drummer, and joined the Stones in 1963 when the band was still playing London’s jazz and blues clubs.
It wasn’t long after that that Watts’ propulsive, deep groove locked in with Keith Richards’ rhythm playing to propel the Rolling Stones to superstardom.
Watts’ approach to the drums drew more from old-school jazz than contemporary rock stylings of the 1960s. His drumming had as much personality and showmanship as frontman Mick Jagger’s legendary dance moves.
One of Watts’ favorite techniques was lifting his hi-hat on the 2 and 4 beat instead of playing straight eighth or sixteenth notes. This meant that the snare drum stood out more in the overall mix of the band, giving the Rolling Stones their distinctive beat and groove.
Watts also famously did not get on well with certain bandmates. One infamous evening, Mick Jagger phoned Watts’ hotel room, demanding “where’s my drummer?”
Charlie Watts woke up, shaved, put on a full tailored suit, tie, and shoes, walked down the stair to Mick Jagger and punched the frontman square in the face. He told Jagger: “Never call me your drummer again. You’re my singer!”
Charlie Watts died at the age of 80 in 2021.
Jellybean Johnson
The Minneapolis Sound is known worldwide. The mix of rock and funk with new wave and synth pop had one stellar figure at its core: Prince. While he was busy creating a purple sonic universe that responded only to his desires, Jellybean Johnson was drumming the right beat at the perfect tempo to keep people moving.
He was a self-taught musician who was recruited by Prince, whom he knew from high school, in 1981. He appears in the Academy-Award-winning movie Purple Rain and in 1990’s Graffiti.
That same year, he produced a number-one Janet Jackson hit, called “Black Cat.”
He remained a highly-demanded studio musician and was one of the unsung heroes of a musical revolution until his death on November 14th, 2024.
His talent and musicianship inspired many drummers after him and will live on forever.
Neil Peart
Neil Peart was an iconic drummer who formed part of the Canadian band Rush. His drumming was the inspiration for many young people to start learning the drums.
Unfortunately, he died of an illness at the age of 67. The band Rush retired a few years earlier due to Peart’s illness. Rush is arguably still one of the most well-known bands in the world, especially to the older generations.
John Bonham
John Bonham is one of the most famous rock drummers to have lived. He played for Led Zeppelin and he made a massive impact in music with his large drums and heavy-hitting. It was always a spectacle to see Bonzo in action. His energy is arguably what made Led Zeppelin the rocking band that they were.
John Bonham died after drinking a heavy amount of alcohol one night at the age of 32. This cause of death was popular amongst rock musicians at the time.
Buddy Rich
While John Bonham was a famous rock drummer, Buddy Rich was a famous jazz drummer. In fact, he’s probably one of the most well-known drummers in the world. Buddy Rich pushed the boundaries of how good someone can get at the drums.
He was always playing intense drum solos and leading jaws to drop after seeing what he could do with a drum kit. He died due to having a brain tumor in his late 60s.
Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker was the drummer in the popular rock band, Cream. He played alongside legendary guitarist, Eric Clapton. Baker was known to mix jazz and African rhythms with rock drumming, creating a drumming style that was very unique to anything else at the time.
He apparently wasn’t the most liked musician around, but he was definitely one of the best. He died at the age of 80 due to some heart issues. He was a professional gigging drummer for the majority of his lifetime.
Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan
The Rev was one of the main members of the band, Avenged Sevenfold. He was a well-known drummer in the metal scene and it came as a shock to many when he passed away. He played a huge role in the success of Avenged Sevenfold’s music and wrote many of the songs.
He died of a drug overdose at the young age of 28. Many drummers have played for Avenged Sevenfold since, but none have filled the role like The Rev did.
John Blackwell
John Blackwell was most well-known for drumming for Prince. He was a lead musician in the R&B and Gospel scenes for most of the 2000s. One notable fact about him is that he was one of the first famous drummers to adopt a hybrid acoustic/electronic setup. You’ll see every R&B drummer doing that nowadays.
Unfortunately, John Blackwell died of a brain tumor at the age of 43.
Jeff Porcaro
Jeff Porcaro was a legendary drummer. He played in the band, Toto, and famously put his name on the map with the Rosanna Shuffle. This groove was played in the song, Rosanna, and it’s one of the most famous grooves in the drumming world.
Jeff Porcaro died of a heart attack at the age of 38.
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was one of the most famous drummers in the 20th century next to Buddy Rich. The two of them were often competing for the spotlight. Gene Krupa took a showman approach and appeared in many films. He was highly entertaining to watch.
Although he was a showman, his playing was very advanced on the drums. He famously played the floor tom and many drummers learn to play what is known today as a “Gene Krupa tom solo”.
He died at the age of 64 due to heart failure.
They don’t come any better than Gene Krupa. My daddy introduced him to me many years ago. I am 86 now and I love smooth jazz. But you can’t forget the old guys