583 – Ralph Rolle (Nile Rodgers & Chic) No Plan B
Ralph Rolle might be the new hardest working man in show business. As the full-time drummer for Nile Rodgers & Chic, plus a restaurant and cookie company owner he also manages to find the time to do masterclasses around the globe among other things.
“If you want to be a working drummer, you just need to get out there and chop it up with as many people as possible.”
Ralph Rolle
Hard work isn’t something new for Ralph, in fact, it’s that work ethic that got him to where he’s at. As a young teen in NYC, Ralph worked to save money to buy his first set of drums, then worked his way through the music scene doing wedding, parties, and any other gig he could find. This lead to his first tour, then a full-time gig as the house drummer at the legendary Apollo Theater, and now his current gig with Nile Rodgers and Chic.
Although he’s achieved a lot, I have a feeling he’s just getting started and I can’t wait to see what he has in store.
Ralph Rolle talks about:
- Learning from his older brother and following in his footsteps to play drums
- Working hard to save money to buy his first drum set
- Why he left engineering school to play drums
- How he got his first tour
- His drumming mentors who took him under their wing
- The importance of working hard and learning from older musicians
- Advice for younger musicians to get “real-world” experience
- Much more
Resources / Links:
- Contact Ralph: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
- Soul Snacks (Cookies)
- Soul Snacks Cafe