Hello everyone, welcome to Billy’s Bubble! This episode features a behind-the-scenes look into Def Leppard’s Rick Allen and singer/songwriter Lauren Monroe’s organization Raven Drum Foundation. The organization was started twenty years ago by Rick & Lauren to raise awareness of healing through music, with drum circles, (with many top drummers & musicians) and raising funds for Veterans, First Responders, and people suffering from trauma. This show features a conversation between a few Ra...
May 22, 2024•54 min
Hello everyone, Billy Amendola here. My guest today Fred Coury is mostly known as the drummer from the eighties MTV-multi-platinum-band Cinderella. Coury and Cinderella parted ways in 1991 and Fred joined Stephen Pearcy of Ratt to form the band Arcade and record two albums. Fred also briefly substituted for GnR’s drummer Steven Adler in 1987 when health issues forced Adler off the road. At age five, Coury started taking violin lessons and by age six, studied at the Beirut Conservatory of Music i...
Jan 26, 2024•1 hr 12 min
Hello everyone! Billy A. here with my guest Cole Marcus, who is no stranger to our Drum Channel audience. I remember meeting and seeing Cole mesmerize a crowd at a NAMM SHOW when he was four years old, which doesn’t sound odd these days, but over two decades ago, it wasn’t as common as now. These days, now twenty-five years old, Cole has released a new single “Cause & Effect,” which he wrote, recorded, sang, as well as playing all the instruments. In this segment, we talk about recording, so...
Jan 19, 2024•51 min
Hello everyone, Billy Amendola here on Drum Channel with my long-time friend and R&B/Soul legend Earl Young. Earl, known as the founder and singer of the group The Trammps, (and recording drummer) took the disco world to the mainstream pop charts with their smash hit “Disco Inferno” among others. Always having success as both a vocalist as well as a drummer, many didn’t realize that Earl, along with the rhythm section, of the late, Ronnie Baker and Norman Harris, created what’s known as TSOP...
Jan 12, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Hello everyone! John Cowsill is back, and this time he brought his beautiful wife Vicki. Most of you on Drum Channel should be familiar with John’s career, he’s been drumming almost as long as he’s been walking. We’re going to talk about his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show at age eight years old with his family band The Cowsills, and their hit song, “The Rain The Park and Other Things” (which most people know as “The Flower Girl” song.) and also the inspiration for the popular TV show The Par...
Jan 05, 2024•1 hr
Hello, my Drum Channel family! Billy Amendola here in my “Bubble” with, our special guest, superstar Rick Astley. Before exploding on the pop charts in the 1980s, Astley was playing drums in bands and singing from behind the kit. Once he stepped out front, a new calling began. He was labeled one of the best singers to come out of the U.K. and take America by storm with his powerhouse vocal style with his two number-one hits, “Never Gonna Give You Up” and “Together Forever.” Working for songwrite...
Dec 29, 2023•50 min
Hello Hello! Billy Amendola in my “Bubble” with today’s guest, who is not only one of the most respected musicians/producers on the planet, but he’s also been a mentor, an inspiration, and a dear friend to me for decades. He appeared on the scene in NYC from Michigan as a drummer and teacher. A few of his students include Omar Hakim, the late Tony Thompson, and many others who launched successful careers. At 21, he joined the Mahavishnu Orchestra on the recommendation of their previous drummer (...
Dec 22, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Hello Everyone, welcome to “Billy’s Bubble” on Drum Channel. Today’s show features my co-host, longtime friend, and the beat on every Billy Joel hit, Liberty DeVitto. Lib & I got together to honor and pay tribute to the late great Hall of Fame drummer Dino Danelli. The legendary drummer best known as an innovator, inspiration, and influence to thousands of musicians, first with the 60/70s band The Rascals, featuring Gene Cornish, Felix Cavaliere, and Eddie Bragati (managed by Sid Bernstein),...
Dec 15, 2023•46 min
Hello everyone! This is a “Billy's Bubble” segment here on Drum Channel, and my guest today is a friend and drummer/bandmate for one of the most popular pop/rock bands on the planet, The Struts. The new album “Pretty Vicious” is the band's fourth album, and each gets better and better. The band is ending the 2023 tour and already getting prepared for 2024. Gethin and I talk about a few tracks from the latest album, advice on keeping a band together, keeping egos in check, and what it’s like to b...
Dec 08, 2023•56 min
Hello everyone, Billy A. and my guest today on Drum Channel is Rick Springfield’s Jorge Palacios. Jorge has been touring and recording with Springfield since 2010. The gig was originally scheduled for three days as a fill-in for drummer Roger Carter, who was going through health issues at the time and it became the start of a long music relationship with Rick and the band. In the nineties, Jorge was playing in the Mustard Seeds with two members who also went on to be part of Springfield’s band, ...
Dec 01, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Hello everyone! Billy Amendola here, and my show today is one of my “Billy’s Bubble” segments, featuring Marshall Chess, the son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. Chess, a Polish/Jewish immigrant, and his brother Phil created what many describe as “America’s Greatest Blues label.” You’ve heard of Willie Dixon, Howlin Wolf, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and other legendary blues musicians from The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and The Beatles. They all were pioneers on the legendar...
Nov 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Hello everyone, Billy Amendola here with my guest today, drummer T.J. Steinwart from the upcoming independent rock band Feel. If you’re a fan of late 60s British rock drumming and California 70s blues/rock, you will dig T.J. and the band Feel. The vibe of the young band from St. Louis, Missouri, floats back to the sounds of Humble Pie, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, and the Black Crows combined with flavors reminiscent of newer generation bands like Rival Sons & Dirty Honey. I am a fan of findin...
Nov 17, 2023•41 min
Hello everyone, Billy Amendola here on Drum Channel with my guest, Donald Barrett. Donald recently wrapped up a Las Vegas residency with superstar artist Lady GaGa on her “Piano & Jazz” show. Over the years, Donald has toured and or performed with Toni Braxton, Seal, Tony Bennett, Sade, Pussycat Dolls, Dolly Parton, and Josh Kelly. From 2006 to 2009, Donald was the house band drummer for TV's “Last Call With Carson Daly.” DC chats with Donald about his Vegas Jazz gig with GaGa featuring a th...
Nov 10, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Hello everyone, Billy Amendola and I’m in Brooklyn, New York in my bubble for this special episode. My guests today are two members of the band Mammoth WVH Garrett Whitlock and Wolfgang Van Halen. As on the previous Mammoth debut, which started as a solo project, Van Halen writes and plays all the instruments, vocals and drums. Band member Garrett Whitlock and leader and founder Wolfgang Van Halen both share drumming duties on the video for the bands new single “I’m Alright.” On tour, Garrett pl...
Nov 03, 2023•38 min
Hello everyone, welcome to “Billy’s Bubble” on Drum Channel. In this segment, we talk to independent country/pop artist Jessica Lynn. Jess recently returned from a long-awaited two-month European tour that was planned to take place just as the pandemic began. We talk to Jess about the tour, her career as an independent artist/singer/songwriter, her tips, and her determination to stick to her gut feelings while maintaining passion, focus, and positive energy. And she plays drums! Jess’ first full...
Oct 27, 2023•46 min
Hello everyone! My guest today is Hooters drummer and long-time band member David Uosikkinen. David and the band recently recorded and released a new album, “Rocking & Swing,” that took the band back to their original ska/reggae sound from the early eighties. The band of forty-plus years has just wrapped up their European/US tour, their first lengthy tour in decades. David has a documentary, “Heart of The Beat,” that premiered in October 2023 at Philadelphia’s longest-running indie film fest...
Oct 20, 2023•59 min
Hello, it’s me, Billy Amendola, on “Billy’s Bubble here on Drum Channel. My guest today is music director Ray Chew. Ray was a child prodigy since the age of six, he was a first-call studio and touring musician since the mid-seventies, and he’s been on TV producing and leading house bands for over two decades. He’s worked with Melba Moore, Ashford & Simpson, Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Diana Ross, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Pharrell Williams, Justin Bieber, Aretha Franklin...
Oct 13, 2023•49 min
Hello everyone, Billy Amendola here in NYC on the Drum Channel Podcast. Today, my guest, Daxx Nielsen, who joined the superstar band Cheap Trick over a decade ago, talks with us about his experience with the legendary band, sharing a tour opening with Rod Stewart, his early years with his original band Harmony Riley with his brother Miles, and more. Let’s welcome Daxx to Drum Channel. Enjoy!
Oct 06, 2023•40 min
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Drum Channel East. The Bronx is in the house today! My guest Tony Cintron, is best known as both a percussionist and drum set player. A native New Yorker Tony has recorded and toured with many of the best in the industry playing R&B, smooth-jazz, Latin-jazz, salsa, gospel, pop and rock. One of Tony’s first big gigs out of New York City was with legendary vocalist Roberta Flack at Carnegie Hall, sharing rhythm section duties with bassist Marcus Miller and the l...
Sep 29, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Hello everyone, welcome! I’m Billy Amendola and my guest today live in the studio at Drum Channel East is Billy Idol’s Erik Eldenius. Erik stopped by on his day off of touring with Idol to chat about his career, working with Billy for the past twelve years, (on a recommendation from producer/songwriter/drummer Keith Forsey), his first taste of success as a band member of Adam Cohen’s band Low Millions and more. Besides Idol and Low Millions, Erik has played and or recorded with Cher, Donna Summe...
Sep 22, 2023•54 min
Hello everyone, welcome to “Billy’s Bubble” here on Drum Channel. Joining Amendola for this week's cover story features one of the most popular hit-making young producers, musicians, and songwriters Pete Nappi. Billy first met Pete in 2016 at an off-tour show in Brooklyn, New York for iHeart radio station Z-100. Nappi was drumming and producing his LA-based trio, Ocean Park Standoff, who had just released their self-titled EP on Hollywood Records. The band was riding the success of their hit sin...
Sep 15, 2023•53 min
Hello everyone, Billy A. here, and my guest is drummer/producer/composer Tal Bergman. Tal has worked with Billy Idol, Chaka Khan, B.B. King, Dave Mason, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Simple Minds, Joe Bonamassa, Billy Gibbons, Herb Alpert, Chris Botti, Terence Trent D’Arby, Peter Cetera, Heart, Belinda Carlisle, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and LL Cool J. to name a few. Tal is also an Associate Producer and drummer on the seven-time multi-platinum and Grammy nominated album “It Had To Be You ....
Sep 08, 2023•59 min
Hello Drum Channel family! Billy A here and my guest today is Steve Rucker. Steve is known these days as one of the most respected educators on the planet. Since 1979, Rucker has been the Director of Drum-set Studies at the University of Miami, Florida. Steve’s also a well-known touring and recording artist, mainly as the drummer in The Bee Gees for the second part of their triumphal comeback. We talk about both experiences and much more. Let’s welcome Steve Rucker. Enjoy!...
Sep 01, 2023•53 min
Hello, it’s me, Billy Amendola, here at Drum Channel East with my guest Joey Cassata. I I first became aware of Joey and his band ZO2 with the Z brothers Paulie and the late David Z., from their IFC comedy TV series Z Rock. The trio recorded a few albums, and went on tour opening for their childhood idols. Joey is also a member Trans Siberian Orchestra for thirteen plus years. He’s written an Amazon top-selling biography, and performed on Broadway with Josh Groban. Let’s welcome Joey to Drum Cha...
Aug 25, 2023•39 min
Hello everyone, welcome to Drum Channel. I’m Billy Amendola, and my guest for this segment is Brian Dunne. Brian is currently on tour backing both Daryl Hall and Todd Rundgren. Dunne is also the house drummer for the TV show “Live from Daryl’s House.” Let’s welcome Brian to Drum Channel.
Aug 18, 2023•55 min
Hello everyone and welcome to Drum Channel. Billy Amendola here at DC East studios with my guest Rocky Bryant. Rocky is one of those players who has performed and or recorded with numerous amount of superstars but remains in the background, not one to rest on his laurels, his goal is to do his job and he does it well; in any genre. He’s both a hired gun on the road as well as a recording artist, including his solo record. “The View From Here.” (featuring an excellent remake of the George Harriso...
Aug 11, 2023•46 min
Hi, Billy Amendola here. Welcome to Drum Channel! East Long Island is in the house today! My buddies Joe Franco (The Good Rats, Twisted Sister, Widowmaker with Dee Snider, & Beatstreet Studio owner) and Blue Oyster Cults Jules Radino, who’s been playing with the legendary band for twenty-years, came back to Brooklyn to talk drums and drumming and share career advice and more. Let’s welcome Jules and Joe to Drum Channel. Enjoy!
Aug 04, 2023•49 min
Hello everyone, Billy Amendola here on Drum Channel and I’m excited to introduce you to a drummer/multi-instrument from Israel, Yoni Madar. (whose handle on Instagram is Johnny Mathar) I’ve been watching his videos on social media for almost close to a year before I reached out to say hello, and let me tell you, if you haven’t seen him play, you must look him up after listening to this podcast. Yoni, has a style and technique all his own. Some of what he plays is complex and seems impossible, at...
Jul 28, 2023•38 min
Hello everyone Billy Amendola here; Welcome to Drum Channel. Today my guest is a young up-and-coming drummer Molly Rose. Molly, born and raised in Northern California, took an interest in drums at four years old and at eight years old got her first drum set. At sixteen, she placed 2nd in the international “Hit Like A Girl” contest and, after graduating high school, moved to Los Angeles where she studied and earned a Bachelor’s Degree at Musicians Institute. In 2020, she took to the internet post...
Jul 21, 2023•36 min
Hello everyone and welcome to “Billy’s Bubble” here on Drum Channel. Today’s guest is singer-songwriter, actress, TV personality, and Broadway star Debbie Gibson. Debbie has released eleven studio albums, six compilation albums, one box set, and forty-six singles. Gibson’s career goes back to 1986, while still in her early teenage years, writing and recording her debut Atlantic Records album Out the Blue. The first single “Only In My Dreams,” landed in the top five on the Billboard charts and pu...
Jul 14, 2023•29 min
