Larrie Londin(aka Ralph Gallant)?
Anonymous
available concerning a specific player of interest.
This recent binge began with Ron Tutt, but then migrated
to Larrie Londin. Based on his contributions over the last
40 years, it sounds like he's one of the most popular unk-
nowns. Actually, I didn't mean unknowns, I probably
should say lower profile.
Anyone here know him?
Thanks,
Gary
Steve Turner
Oh yeah, he was one of the unsung greats. I'm sure I'd heard his
playing before I even knew who he was because he was such a popular
session musician, but the first time I became aware of him was in the
early eighties when I bought "Twang Bar King" by Adrian Belew. The guy
could really lay it down.
--
Free bad advice available here.
To reply, eat the taco.
Anonymous
Thanks....
"Steve Turner" <bbqb...@swtacobell.net> wrote in message
news:CPfxi.5154$924...@newssvr23.news.prodigy.net...
patdrums
I never knew him personally but I do know his son quite well.
Larrie was FAR from an unknown in the drum world. He was THE
session guy in Nashville for decades back in the 70's-80's. He
played on just about everything that came out of Nashville back
then. I've actually heard that he was the guy who got Eddie
Bayers started in the drum session world. Rumor has it that Eddie
was playing piano on a session that Larrie was on. He was there
early and the cartage company was setting up Larrie's kit. Eddie
dabbled with drums as well as played piano so he sat down at the kit
and was noodling around when Larrie walked in. Larrie heard him
and said "Man, you play great! You should do drum sessions too. I
have piles of stuff I have to turn down all the time and I can throw
it your way if you want." He gave a Eddie a kit to use and started
turning him onto demos and things that he got called for but couldn't
fit into the schedule. Eddie did so well that he became the next
Larrie. I don't know how accurate the story is but I've heard
variations of it over my years in Nashville. I'll have to ask Eddie
next time I see him.
I didn't listen to country music at all back then and didn't really
learn about Larrie until he started popping up in the rock/pop world
with artists like Belew and Steve Perry. He did Perry's "Street
Talk" album and people outside of Nashville suddenly were all over him
to play on their rock stuff. He also did the majority of Journey's
"Rasied On Radio"--the record where Perry insisted that Steve Smith
and Ross Valory had to go. That record STILL gives me
goosebumps. Larrie just absolutely KILLED on it.
Jim Riley, who plays with Rascal Flatts is a close friend and was at
the clinic at North Texas State where Larrie passed away. He said
he was playing and then just suddenly slumped over and fell on the
floor. They brought in EMT's and took him away on a stretcher.
Everyone found out later that he had died. Sad. What a loss.
Pat
Anonymous
Well, I didn't mean to suggest he was unknown. Just
that he's certainly not one of the names I see so frequently
mentioned. I should have explained that more carefully.
In all my reading, I didn't recall mention of his death. I
certainly didn't know that. Apparently, my reading is
not as thorough as I'd thought, because I found the
following passage at:
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:bxnm_ffnnXQJ:www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Larrie_Londin.html+%2B%22larrie+londin%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
"On April 24, 1992 he collapsed following a clinic at North Texas State
University and he spent four months in a vegetative state. There was nothing
the doctors could do to bring him back from the coma. He lingered for months
in a Nashville hospice and I hoped and prayed that he would somehow beat the
odds and recover even though the best medical minds said he had suffered
irreversible brain damage. I had forgotten about writing a book, I just
wanted my friend back. He was down to earth and one of the nicest guys I
ever knew and I missed him. As summer began turning to fall, I got the news
from George Lunn, Chet Atkins' road manager, that Larrie had passed away. On
August 24, 1992 the world had lost its greatest drummer."
Thanks,
Gary
"patdrums" <patd...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:1187372524.2...@q4g2000prc.googlegroups.com...
sono...@comcast.net
Paul
in article CPfxi.5154$924...@newssvr23.news.prodigy.net, Steve Turner at bbqb...@swtacobell.net wrote on 8/17/07 4:41 AM:
Unknown
>
>
>Well, I didn't mean to suggest he was unknown. Just
>that he's certainly not one of the names I see so frequently
>mentioned. I should have explained that more carefully.
>
>In all my reading, I didn't recall mention of his death. I
>certainly didn't know that. Apparently, my reading is
>not as thorough as I'd thought, because I found the
>following passage at:
>http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:bxnm_ffnnXQJ:www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Larrie_Londin.html+%2B%22larrie+londin%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us
>
>"On April 24, 1992 he collapsed following a clinic at North Texas State
>University and he spent four months in a vegetative state. There was nothing
>the doctors could do to bring him back from the coma. He lingered for months
>in a Nashville hospice and I hoped and prayed that he would somehow beat the
>odds and recover even though the best medical minds said he had suffered
>irreversible brain damage. I had forgotten about writing a book, I just
>wanted my friend back. He was down to earth and one of the nicest guys I
>ever knew and I missed him. As summer began turning to fall, I got the news
>from George Lunn, Chet Atkins' road manager, that Larrie had passed away. On
>August 24, 1992 the world had lost its greatest drummer."
>
>Thanks,
>
>
>Gary
As I recall, he suffered a stroke...didn't he? It was a pretty
significant stroke, from what I read. This could account for the
"vegetative state" comment mentioned. And from what I recall there was
pretty significant paralysis of part of his body. Very sad indeed.
As Pat mentioned, the stuff he did with Steve Perry and then with
Journey was truly incredible. I am fortunate enough to have a
boot-legged copy of his video around here somewhere. The thing that
always struck me about him was that he seemed to have endless chops
that he could draw on whenever needed--and he didn't just blow them
all over the place. He was all about groove, but then BAM...he
suddenly blows these bombastic drumfills over the bar line. I'm like
HOLY SHIT... That's the kind of thing that Jeff Porcaro could do as
well--just check out some of the older Toto stuff on YouTube.
TB
sttp
Just catching up in this group....
Larrie's was the first drum clinic I ever attended. I was in 7th
grade, and he was down at Veneman's in Rockville, MD. (1986,1987,
somewhere around that time.) I got to talk to him personally after the
clinic, and he was very encouraging, sharing stories of his mistakes
and hurdles, and I specifically remember an anecdote about a groove
that was supposed to move forward "like a three-legged dog." I
remember him as one of the most genuinely warm people I've ever met. I
got the impression that he went out of his way to spend extra time
with the younger drummers, nudging them along. And my Darwin could he
play. Strong and authoritative, yet deep and subtle. Anyone who looks
down on a player like him because he made his name "only" in country
music is missing out. (He did lots of rock towards the end, too.) Even
now I'll hear things he's played on pop up on the radio and comment to
myself how stunning he was. And I still have that Steve Perry disc
somewhere. Some people just put every not in the groove in *exactly*
the right place. He was one of them.
Anonymous
Yeah, based on what I read(aka between the lines), I
suspected a description such as you just gave.
Thanks,
Gary
"sttp" <sapr...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1187656877....@50g2000hsm.googlegroups.com...
