Drum Channel Podcast

S2 E34 - 12 Drummers Drumming

Hi everyone! For this weeks Drum Channel podcast, Billy Amendola speaks with a few of his friends Denny Seiwell, Josh Roosin, Matt Starr, Todd Sucherman, Wally Ingram, and Alvin Taylor, as well as Raven Drum Foundation founders Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe to talk about “12 Drummers Drumming,” and more. Rick (Def Leppard) and his wife, singer-songwriter Lauren started the Raven Drum Foundation twenty-years ago and has raised money for veterans and people in need with the healing power of music. ...

S2 E33 - Sandy Gennaro

Hi everyone, Billy A here; welcome to the Drum Channel Podcast. As drummers, time is a powerful word; In playing and especially in life. Our guest today, the drummer/author Sandy Gennaro understands the importance of timing in life and has written an inspiring book combining his music career with life lessons titled ”Beating The Odds: In Business & Life.” Sandy and I chat about the book, our long-time-friendship, his music career with The Monkees, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, Benny Mardones, the...

S2 E32 - Rikki Rockett

Welcome to this week’s Drum Channel Podcast. Billy A here with my guest Rikki Rockett, co-founder, drummer, and bonafide rock star of the past three decades with the band Poison. One of the few groups from the 80s era with all original members, Rikki and Poison, sold over 50 million records. They recently wrapped up the most extensive stadium tour of the year, with Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Joan Jett. Rikki and I talk about the music business, and how almost two years of the tour being postp...

S2 E31 - Don Lombardi

Hi everyone, welcome back to Drum Channel West. Billy Amendola and DC founder Don Lombardi chat at Thomas Lang’s Westlake Studio to talk about what’s going on at DC as well as reminiscing about teacher/guru Freddie Gruber, hand technic (matched, traditional), the late John Blackwell, the Buddy Rich Tribute concert, and much more. Enjoy. Happy 50 to Don & Chris Lombardi, John Good, and everyone at DW Drums!

S2 E30 - Liberty DeVitto

Welcome to this week’s Drum Channel Podcast featuring Billy Amendola and Liberty DeVitto. Today Liberty joins Billy in the studio for episode 2 of their “Did You Know?” Series on “Billy’s Bubble” to honor the east coast session legend, Gary Chester. DeVitto, who’s played on over 150,000 selling albums with Billy Joel, listens and talks about all things drums and drumming with Amendola on recordings by Chester as well as their recording sessions and more. Enjoy this casual conversation between tw...

S2 E29 - Justin Kreutzmann

Hello everyone! Welcome to the Drum Channel podcast with Billy Amendola. Today’s episode features filmmaker Justin Kreutzmann (the son of The Grateful Dead’s Bill Kreutzmann - who, along with Mickey Hart, is half of the Dead’s driving rhythm section). Justin, who grew up on the road, directed the new music documentary Let There Be Drums! released today October 28th, 2022. The film is an examination into the crucial role drumming plays in bands and how music passes down from generation to generat...

S2 E28 - Cherisse Osei

Hi everyone! Billy Amendola here on Drum Channel with my guest (from the UK) Cherisse Osei, best known for her work with the band Simple Minds. The 80’s band, who had a massive hit with “Don’t You, Forget About Me,” sold over sixty-million records, (long before Cherisse was born-she joined in 2016). The legendary band is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a brand-new album “Direction of the Heart,” being released today, October 21, 2022, as this podcast premieres. Let’s welcome Cherisse to Dr...

S2 E27 - Herman Matthews

Welcome to Drum Channel. I’m Billy Amendola, and my guest today is “The Hermanator” Herman Matthews. Moving from Houston, Texas to Los Angeles, CA., has put this “groove master” in the drum seat for Kenny Loggins, Richard Marx, Tom Jones, Timothy B. Schmit, Tower of Power, and more. As a band member for four years, touring with TOP, Matthews also recorded their albums “Souled Out” and “Rhythm & Business,” along with his 2007 solo album “Home at Last.” We also talk about his “side business” g...

S2 E26 - Jacquelene Acevedo

Hello everyone, Billy A here in the Drum Channel East studio with percussionist Jacquelene Acevedo. If that name sounds familiar and you’re unfamiliar with Jacquelene, her father is famed percussionist/drummer Memo Acevedo. Jacquelene spent the last year on Broadway playing with Talking Heads founder David Byrne in his “American Utopia” Broadway play and concert film directed and produced by Spike Lee. We speak with Jacquelene about Byrne’s show, winning a Grammy and Tony awards, learning from h...

S2 E25 - Jim McCarty

Hello from Drum Channel! Billy Amendola is with his guest today Jim McCarty, co-founder and original member of the 60’s English band the Yardbirds. Not many can claim to have drummed for three early bandmates who went on to become the greatest guitarists in the world, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck, who were all in the same band for a short period. As part of the sixties British Invasion, the band had a string of hits, including the 1965 top-charting songs "For Your Love,” “Heart Full o...

S2 E24 - JJ Kramer & John Martin

Hi everyone! Welcome back to “Billy’s Bubble” here on Drum Channel. My bubble show is a bit different from my regular weekly podcasts, but the lesson and message is always the same; learning words of wisdom with knowledgeable, successful guests. This episode is a business theme with my guests Chairman (and son of Creem magazine’s co-founder Barry Kramer), JJ Kramer along with CEO/Publisher John Martin. Anyone from my generation may recognize the magazine or be reminded; I grew up reading it as a...

S2 E23 - Andrew Marshall

Welcome to the Drum Channel Podcast with Billy Amendola. This week Billy talks with Billie Eilish/Finneas drummer Andrew Marshall. Andrew, currently on tour in New Zealand, talks about the stage show, gear, playing and programming drums, and more. Marshall, born in New York, started playing drums at nine and paid his dues performing around the tri-state area by the time he was fourteen, playing professionally before moving to California in 2017. He has been touring with Eilish’s band for years a...

S2 E22 - Kobi Reese

Hello everyone, this week’s Drum Channel podcast with Billy Amendola is about starting from the beginning. Our topics are geared as a lesson to the young generation. Still, it also reminds our older and established era of that exciting feeling as a kid just starting and dreaming of being a “rock star.” Let’s listen in as Billy introduces Kobi Reese, an up & coming 11-year-old-drummer from New Jersey, who is kick-starting his music career with his first significant interview here on Drum Chan...

S2 E21 - Matt Starr

Welcome to this week’s Drum Channel Podcast with Billy Amendola and his guest Matt Starr. Matt, having his own solo career, has been a first-call-road and recording warrior for years, performing with Ace Frehley, Joe Lynn Turner and Mr. Big among others. Starr shares his experiences touring and recording with KISS’ guitarist Ace Frehley and Mr.Big (filling in with and for the late Pat Torpey). Matt also tells us how he tracked down super-producer/songwriter Mike Chapman, learning about the busin...

S2 E20 - Denny Seiwell

Welcome to the Drum Channel west coast broadcast with Billy Amendola and Don Lombardi. This episode features long-time friend and former Paul McCartney and Wings drummer Denny Seiwell. Denny talks to Billy & Don about his New York audition with Paul & Linda and his recording of McCartney’s classic album RAM. Before he knew it, Seiwell was invited to join McCartney’s new project, Wings, where he toured and played on the albums Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway, as well as singles such as “H...

S2 E19 - Gethin Davies

Hello, it’s me, Billy Amendola. Welcome to this week’s Drum Channel Podcast. My guest today is Gethin Davies of the UK band The Struts. The Struts are one of the newer breeds of bands, keeping the rock flag flying high since 2012. Today, Friday, August 19th, ten years later, the bands latest single, “Fallin’ With Me,” is their first release on the label Big Machine. A singalong-anthem-rocker, the song has been a favorite in concert where the band has recently returned from a sold-out UK tour. Th...

S2 E18 - “Billy’s Bubble” Podcast

Welcome to this week’s Drum Channel Podcast featuring Billy Amendola and Liberty DeVitto. This week Liberty joins Billy in the studio to talk about Muscle Shoals session legend Roger Hawkins. DeVitto, who’s played on over 150,000 selling albums with Billy Joel, listens and talks about all things drums and drumming with Amendola on recordings by Hawkins as well as their own recording sessions and more. Enjoy this casual conversation between two long-time friends about their favorite drummers....

S2 E17 - Joe Vitale

Welcome to Drum Channel with Billy Amendola. This week I’m speaking with not only an award-winning singer/songwriter, author, keyboardist, and A-game touring and recording drummer, he is one of my favorite people on the planet, Joe Vitale. Vitale has been close pals with his boss of 55 years, and still tours and records with him to this day, the legendary Joe Walsh. (Vitale co-wrote “Rocky Mountain Way”), He’s written, recorded, and toured with The Eagles, (writing “Pretty Maids All in a Row,” f...

S2 E16 - Gordy Knudtson

Welcome to this week's Drum Channel Podcast with Billy Amendola. This podcast features Gordy Knudtson, most known as the touring drummer with the Steve Miller band for the past thirty years. Gordy, recently retired from touring to spend more time at home and taking care of his company GK-Music.com , the first company to make and market hearing protection headphones for musicians called DrumPhones. His current model called UltraPhones is the isolation headphone of choice for top professionals acr...

S2 E15 - Alvin Taylor

This week’s Drum Chanel Podcast with host Billy Amendola features session and touring drummer Alvin Taylor. Taylor started his professional career at the young age of fourteen, touring with Little Richard, where he played drums for Richard, and featured Jimi Hendrix on guitar and keyboardist Billy Preston, who Alvin would have a lifetime experience both musically as well as a mentor. Years later Preston invited George Harrison to the studio when he was working with the Burke brothers from The Fi...

S2 E14 - Education Round Table

Hi and welcome to an exclusive Drum Channel podcast featuring three top-notch educators and working drummers, Frank Bellucci, Joe Bergamini, and Jim Mola. Join me, Billy A, as three friends share their experiences and words of wisdom about being on both sides of the fence in this “drum world” we all live in. Listen as we discuss tips on the importance of reading music, staying professional, working club dates, performing on Broadway, the challenges of teaching feel, time, and much more. We send ...

S2 E13 - Allan Schwartzberg

Welcome to the Drum Channel Podcast with Billy Amendola. This week’s guest is one of NYC’s first-call-session-drummers of the 70s-80s and beyond, Allan Schwartzberg. Schwartzberg, who started playing Jazz at a young age, went on to record drums on AM/FM radio hits; “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” (Tony Orlando & Dawn), “Cats in the Cradle” (Harry Chapin), “Working My Way Back to You,” (The Spinners), “Funky President,” (James Brown) Never Can Say Goodbye,” (Gloria Gaynor), “Star Wars Theme,” (Meco), a...

S2 E12 - Nick Gross

Welcome to this weeks Drum Channel Podcast with host Billy Amendola and his guest Nick Gross. Nick is a co-founder, along with his partner Travis Mills as part of the duo’s band Girlfriends. They are currently touring to promote their latest album, “(e)motion sickness,” as well as the bands previous self-titled debut album. (Which accumulated over thirty million streams) Not only a leading band member, besides drums and production, Nick co-writes and plays just about every instrument on the reco...

S2 E11 - Up & Coming Country Drummers

S2 E10 - Brooke Colucci

Hello DC friends! This week's podcast with Billy A features one of the youngest, most talented up comers, the “Rock Angel” Brooke Colucci. Brooke C is nineteen years old with years of life experiences since posting her first video at twelve years old. A year later, her cover of a Tool’s “Forty-Six & 2” hit over 12 million viewers. A co-founding member of the 4-piece young rock band Plush featuring bassist/vocalist Ashley Suppa, lead guitarist Bella Perron with co-founder guitarist/singer/son...

S2 E9 - Fred Eltringham

Hello Drum Channel family! Welcome to this week’s podcast with Billy Amendola & Sheryl Crow/session musician Fred Eltringham. In this episode, Fred goes through his early years of paying his dues and moving between his birthplace, Philadelphia, to attending Berklee College in Boston, to gigging in NYC and California, then back to NYC, and now since 2007, residing in Nashville with his wife and children. Listen in on how Fred’s career frustrations fell into circumstances that led him to becom...

S2 E8 - Eric Hernandez

Husband, Father, Brother, Friend, Hooligan, and Smooth as Silk, Eric Hernandez is my special guest this week on Drum Channel. Born in Brooklyn, New York, and moving to Hawaii, Eric started playing drums at four years old. Learning life lessons and working with his dad Peter’s band since he was a youngster, which also a few years later featured his five-year-old little brother Bruno, both went on to become performers at superstar levels; SNL, the Grammy’s, twice at the Super Bowl, millions of rec...

S2 E7 - Tony Brock

Welcome to Drum Channels podcast — in this episode, we’re honored to introduce you to our guest, Tony Brock of the 70s supergroup The Baby’s. After huge success and going their separate ways, in the 80s Tony recorded and toured with Rod Stewart for close to fourteen years. Before the world shut down, Tony and this last line-up wrote new songs for a new album and planed an upcoming tour for 2022 into 2023. Let’s welcome Tony Brock.

S2 E6 - Ed Greene

This week’s Drum Channel podcast with Billy Amendola features Ed Greene. Those of you who may have vaguely heard his name, or don’t know much about his career, are in for a treat. Greene, up there with all the top studio drummers of the 70s, is a session legend. He’s one of the most polite and humble musicians on the planet, and his list of number ones and top-forty records is mind-blowing. Besides playing on all of Barry White's hits, as if that wasn’t enough, he’s played on classic recordings ...

S2 E5 - Jerry Shirley

Welcome to this week's Drum Channel Podcast with Billy Amendola and his special guest Jerry Shirley of Humble Pie. The band recently celebrated the release of its 50th anniversary remaster of their 1972 album “Smokin’.” Billy and the classic rock legend discuss Jerry’s early years with the band, Steve Marriott, Peter Frampton, Fastway, Jerry’s days as a radio DJ; interviewing Paul McCartney, going shopping with Keith Moon, Shirley’s 2011 autobiography “Best Seat in the House,” and more....