Podcast 109 - Gerald Heyward: The Godfather of Gospel and R&B Drumming
June 21, 2015

109 – Gerald Heyward: The Godfather of Gospel and R&B Drumming

In this podcast I talk to Gerald Heyward, who is not only known for his long list of clients, ridiculous chops & groove and humbleness, but most importantly, he’s an innovator.  Gerald blazed a trail of successfully moving from the Gospel scene into the R&B / Pop scene and now he’s helping others do the same.  Heard explains it as “I’ve already walked around the corner and hit the brick wall, so now I can warm others before I they go around the corner…..HEY!  Careful, there’s a brick wall there”.  Gerald’s humbleness and willingness to share his knowledge goes beyond his willingness to share his knowledge with anyone who is willing to listen. Gerald works in the Drum department when he’s home from the road so that he has a chance to talk to upcoming drummers, help them pick out their gear, and answer their questions.  Gerald is a true ambassador of drumming.  Listen in and you’ll see what I mean.

 

“Creativity, as has been said, consists largely of rearranging what we know in order to find out what we do not know. Hence, to think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.” – George Kneller

 

In this interview Gerald Heyward talks about:

  • How he got started playing drums
  • His approach to drumming as a young player and why it was difficult
  • Why he initially avoided touring
  • How he got his first “big gig”
  • How he practices
  • His advice for young drummers
  • His relationship with Chris Brown
  • Much More

Resources and Links mentioned:

Contact Gerald Heyward: Twitter | Instagram

Gerald Heyward Plays:

Click HERE to thank Gerald Heyward for doing the interview!