283 - Remembering John Blackwell: An in-depth interview from 2015 - Drummer's Resource: Conversations with the world's greatest drummers and music industry pros.
July 7, 2017

283 – Remembering John Blackwell: An in-depth interview from 2015

In this podcast I talked to legendary drummer, John Blackwell who was best known for his powerful grooves behind the conic star, Prince for 12 years.  Blackwell has also performed with Billy Eckstine, Cameo, Pattie LaBelle, Justin Timberlake, Crystal Kay, and P Diddy.  In addition to his work with various artists, John frequently performs at clinics and seminars around the world and has released two DVDs: “John Blackwell – Technique Grooving and Showmanship” and “John Blackwell – Master Series

Sadly, John lost his battle with cancer and passed away on July 4th, 2017. This session was originally recorded on March 30th, 2015 and re-released on July 6th to honor John’s legacy and the amazing information he shared in this session. 

“Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” – Michael Jordan (Tweet this)

In this podcast you’ll hear John Blackwell talk about:

  • How he started playing drums
  • Having perfect pitch
  • Hearing in “color”
  • His days at Berklee
  • Landing the gig with Cameo
  • Jamming with Prince and how he got the Prince gig
  • His approach to playing
  • Advice for drummers
  • Much much more

Resources and Links Mentioned:


John Blackwell Plays:

Tama Drums
Zildjian Cymbals
Remo Drumheads


Drummer’s Resource Podcast is free thanks to support from:

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