Roy
Burns has done it all—and done it well. He’s held the throne of
numerous big bands. He’s established himself as an in-demand studio
player, teacher, and clinician. He’s written numerous drum
instructionals. And he’s one of the founding members of Aquarian
Drumheads.
Burns was born in Emporia, Kansas, in 1935, and was playing with
Woody Herman’s big band in New York City by the time he was twenty-one.
The budding drummer went on to join the Benny Goodman Orchestra and tour
internationally. In 1960, Burns decided to settle down in New York and
focus on studio work and teaching. He became a member of the NBC Staff
Orchestra, where he performed on The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show,
among other shows, and he did numerous commercials and recordings. At
the same time, Burns led his own jazz group, frequenting clubs such as
The Metropole and Birdland in New York City.
Burns’ work in drum instruction during this time inspired him to
begin writing instructional books, several of which are considered
classics, such as Finger Control, Advanced Rock Drumming, and Elementary Drum Method.
The success of his books in turn led to Burns trailblazing into the
then–relatively untapped realm of clinics. Burns joined the Rogers Drum
Company, and from 1968 to 1980 he traveled the world performing clinics.
(Roy was the first American drummer to hold clinics in countries as far
ranging as Australia, Ireland, and Hong Kong.) During much of the ’70s,
Burns was also the house drummer for the Monterey Jazz Festival,
performing with giants of jazz and blues including Dizzy Gillespie and
Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis.
In 1980, Roy began writing his long string of Concepts articles for Modern Drummer
magazine. In the column, Burns offered insights on a wide range of
topics pertaining to drummers of all ages and experiences. During the
twelve years the series ran, readers consistently rated it as among the
magazine’s most popular.
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