Drummer

On Sunday, August 22, 2004, ELIZABETH EVELYN DRUMMER (nee Atkinson) beloved wife of the late William L. Drummer Jr., loving mother of Pamela Di Pietro, mother-in-law of Albert A. Di Pietro Jr., cherished grandmother of Anne Marie and Amey E. Di Pietro. Survived by many loving family and friends. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may made to the American Cancer Society Mid Atlantic Division, POB 43025, Baltimore, MD, 21236-0025. Arrangements by WITZKE FUNERAL HOME OF CATONSVILLE INC., 410-744-8600.

With rapt attention, 4-year-old Alexis Gamble fixed her eyes on three teenage girls, bare-footed in vibrant-colored dresses, as they danced to traditional African beats on Saturday, the fourth day of Kwanzaa. The Gamble family, of Owings Mills, lights a candle each day of the seven-day holiday that was created in 1966 by Eastern Shore native Maulana Karenga to reflect on African culture. They were among more than 350 who turned out for the annual celebration at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.

Richard E. Humphrey, a self-taught drummer and showman who anchored several Baltimore bands, died Thursday of complications from a heart attack at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air. The Bel Air resident was 82. Born in Baltimore in 1925, Mr. Humphrey later attended high school in Elizabeth, N.J., where he taught himself to play the drums and formed his own band. He learned by watching his favorite drummer, Gene Krupa, who played with Benny Goodman during the big-band era. He made further use of his musical skills after enlisting in the Navy in 1943.

The numerous descendants of Henry Lightner may have inherited the mettle he displayed in battle when they set out to trace their roots, find his unmarked grave and after nearly 130 years honor him with a proper monument. Many had heard the tale of the "Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry," the 16-year-old who joined the militia and played his drum during the march to Fort McHenry, where the decisive Battle of Baltimore occurred during the War of 1812. The drummer, who stood out in a red coat, carried commanders' orders to the embattled troops.

Sometimes the past isn't hard to find. Leave Los Angeles, drive 125 miles into the oven heat of Palm Desert, down Sonny Bono Memorial Highway and across Frank Sinatra Drive, and the past might even greet you at his front door. "You found me," Hal Blaine says from behind huge sunglasses. "Come on in." Inside, a few gold records adorn the wall, all hits by John Denver, all featuring Blaine on drums. What's missing from the walls of his modest home says far more about the backbeat of Blaine's life today.

Martin "Marty" Fischer, an avid golfer and well-known local drummer, died Sunday of complications from throat cancer at Gilchrest Hospice in Towson. The Dundalk resident was 66. Mr. Fischer, the son of a Bethlehem Steel employee and a homemaker, was born in 1944 in Dundalk. After graduating from Dundalk High School in 1962, he began work at the old Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock in South Baltimore. Mr. Fischer also worked at the Johns Hopkins University's oceanographic ship before taking a job as a machinist with the city wastewater treatment plant.

The former drummer for heavy metal band Judas Priest was jailed Friday for eight years for the attempted rape of a teenager while giving him drum lessons. David Holland was convicted last month of one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecent assault on the 17-year-old youth, who has learning difficulties, at the drummer's rural English home in 2002. Sentencing Holland in Northampton Crown Court, Judge Charles Wide said the drummer had planned the abuse and must never again be allowed to work with children.

When young, aspiring artists ask Mark Foster, the 27-year-old leader of Los Angeles trio Foster the People, for tips on making it big in the music industry, he offers practical advice. "Kids hit me up on Twitter and I tell them to learn how to bartend," Foster said. "There are career waiters in Los Angeles and they're making over $100,000 a year. " Foster knows first-hand how difficult breakthroughs can be. After moving to Los Angeles from Cleveland at 18, Foster threw himself into the city's party scene, hoping to make any connections he could.

The Jazz Organ Trio, with organist Matt Wigler, guitarist Dan Leonard and drummer Mike Aubin, performs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today at Clef Notes Music and Cafe, 8381 Merryman St. $10 cover. Call 410-461-6794.

Superstar rapper Lil Wayne and his prot���©g���© Nicki Minaj headline a star-studded lineup for the "I Am Music II" tour, which will come to Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena March 20, according to concert promoter Live Nation. The pair will be joined by Miami-based rapper Rick Ross and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. The tour, which will be Wayne's first tour since his prison release nearly three months ago, kicks off March 18 in Buffalo, N.Y., and ends May 1 in East Rutherford, N.J. The "I Am Music II" tour is also scheduled to stop at the Verizon Center in Washington on April 3. Wayne, a New Orleans native, has become a fan- and critic-favorite with his unique voice, witty lyrics and catchy beats.

When young, aspiring artists ask Mark Foster, the 27-year-old leader of Los Angeles trio Foster the People, for tips on making it big in the music industry, he offers practical advice. "Kids hit me up on Twitter and I tell them to learn how to bartend," Foster said. "There are career waiters in Los Angeles and they're making over $100,000 a year. " Foster knows first-hand how difficult breakthroughs can be. After moving to Los Angeles from Cleveland at 18, Foster threw himself into the city's party scene, hoping to make any connections he could.

Jonathan Phillip "Sugarfoot" Moffett can practically hear the King of Pop's voice in his head as he practices his drum licks for the Cirque du Soleil show based on the music of Michael Jackson. "Make it bigger than life," Moffett hears the Gloved One telling him, as he bears down on the beat in "Billie Jean" or "Heartbreak Hotel. " "My fans know my music. That's what they want to hear. Add some color, but don't stray too far. " In putting together "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour," the creative team behind Cirque du Soleil drew upon the expertise of several musicians and dancers who worked closely with Jackson, including Moffett, Jackson's longtime drummer, and choreographer Travis Payne.

Superstar rapper Lil Wayne and his prot���©g���© Nicki Minaj headline a star-studded lineup for the "I Am Music II" tour, which will come to Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena March 20, according to concert promoter Live Nation. The pair will be joined by Miami-based rapper Rick Ross and Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker. The tour, which will be Wayne's first tour since his prison release nearly three months ago, kicks off March 18 in Buffalo, N.Y., and ends May 1 in East Rutherford, N.J. The "I Am Music II" tour is also scheduled to stop at the Verizon Center in Washington on April 3. Wayne, a New Orleans native, has become a fan- and critic-favorite with his unique voice, witty lyrics and catchy beats.

Martin "Marty" Fischer, an avid golfer and well-known local drummer, died Sunday of complications from throat cancer at Gilchrest Hospice in Towson. The Dundalk resident was 66. Mr. Fischer, the son of a Bethlehem Steel employee and a homemaker, was born in 1944 in Dundalk. After graduating from Dundalk High School in 1962, he began work at the old Maryland Shipbuilding and Drydock in South Baltimore. Mr. Fischer also worked at the Johns Hopkins University's oceanographic ship before taking a job as a machinist with the city wastewater treatment plant.

JAMES 'THE REV' SULLIVAN, 28 Drummer for band Avenged Sevenfold James "The Rev" Sullivan, drummer for the Orange County heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, whose apocalyptic songs full of biblical imagery resurrected for a new generation the sonic template of '80s hard rock laid down by acts such as Guns N' Roses and Metallica, died Monday at his home in Huntington Beach. He was 28. A statement released by the Orange County coroner's office said Sullivan was found unresponsive inside his home, and that no other information is available because an investigation is under way. A spokesman for the Huntington Beach Police Department said there were no signs of foul play and that Sullivan was pronounced dead at the scene.

With the economy in the doldrums and partridges in pear trees seemingly in short supply, it's time to rethink this whole "12 Days of Christmas" thing. Maybe, instead of offering 12 things to buy, it would be better to find 12 things to do as the holidays approach - 12 days' worth of seasonal activities guaranteed to wring glad tidings out of even the most curmudgeonly Scrooge. Traditionalists should have an easy time filling their holiday to-do lists, thanks to such mainstays as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Spectacular, train gardens at the B&O Railroad Museum and the annual Mayor's Christmas Parade in Hampden.

Halfway through a set at Simon's of Butchers Hill, the drummer of the David Wells Trio was onstage tapping and grinning with his mouth shut. Anyone sitting in the upstairs dining room with him could read his mind: "Man, this is some smooooth jazz." And if owner Eugene Jones can lock down a consistently solid lineup four nights a week, Simon's upstairs room will be a routine stop for local jazz lovers. Jones is pretty close right now but still has a kink or two to work out. Jones, formerly the manager of Fat Lulu's, opened the upstairs in November.

Dennis Chambers, drummer extraordinaire and Grammy-nominated child of East Baltimore, is on the phone for a few precious minutes during a brief stay with the home folks before the road claims him again. "It takes a toll," he said. "It all depends on who I'm with. Sometimes you're with a bunch of guys who have some personalities and it can be sort of a drag." Right now, he's touring with guitarist Mike Stern, whose album Voices -- on which Chambers played drums -- has been nominated for best contemporary jazz album by the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

The Jazz Organ Trio, with organist Matt Wigler, guitarist Dan Leonard and drummer Mike Aubin, performs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today at Clef Notes Music and Cafe, 8381 Merryman St. $10 cover. Call 410-461-6794.