Lee Rocker

Lee Rocker
Lee Rocker at Uptown Theatre, July 2007
Lee Rocker at Uptown Theatre, July 2007
Background information
Birth nameLeon Drucker
Born (1961-08-03) August 3, 1961 (age 63)
Long Island, New York, U.S.
GenresPop, rock, blues, rockabilly
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Bass, upright bass
Years active1979–present
Labels33rd Street, AFM, Alligator
Websitewww.leerocker.com

Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker, August 3, 1961)[1] is an American musician. He is a member of the rockabilly revival band Stray Cats.

He is the son of the classical clarinetists Stanley Drucker, the late former principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Naomi Drucker.[2] As a child, he played the cello and later learned bass guitar.

Biography

Personal life

Lee Rocker was born Leon Drucker in Massapequa, Long Island, New York, to a Jewish family in 1961.[3] He is the son of classical clarinetists Stanley and Naomi Drucker. Stanley Drucker was the principal clarinetist for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and played with Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.[4] His sister Roseanne is a country music singer-songwriter.[5]

At age 12, Rocker picked up the electric bass[6] but quickly developed a preference for playing the double bass as his instrument of choice. He credits records by Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins for his new inclination "The slap bass on those records blew me away!" Rocker's favorite bass player is Willie Dixon.[5]

He married his wife Deborah in 1989.[7] She is the daughter of Gucci watchmaking pioneer, Severin Wunderman. In the fall of 2013, she launched her own eponymous fashion line.[8][9] They reside in Laguna Beach, California with their two children. Rocker is a fan of the Lakers and the Angels.[10]

Career

Drucker's school friends included James McDonnell and Brian Setzer.[11] The three of them played together regularly and widened their musical interests to include the blues and rockabilly. Drucker also learned to play the double bass to incorporate the sounds of blues and rockabilly on the acoustic instrument. The three of them formed the group Stray Cats in 1979.[6] McDonnell took on the stage name of "Slim Jim Phantom", and Drucker devised his own stage name to "Lee Rocker". Rocker evolved his own style of slap-bass playing with the group.[12]

Rocker and Stray Cats sold nearly 10 million albums and garnered twenty three gold and platinum certified records worldwide, and made them a mainstay on MTV.[13][14][11] In addition to Stray Cats, Lee Rocker, and Phantom, Rocker & Slick albums, Rocker has recorded or performed with Carl Perkins, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, Keith Richards, John Fogerty, and Scotty Moore.[15] Rocker was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1982, as was his father, they are the second father-son duo to be nominated for a Grammy in the same year.[16][17] He is considered to be an influential upright bassist in rock and roll.[18]

Lee Rocker performing at Memphis International Rockabilly Festival, August 2015

Accompanied by Slim Jim Phantom and guitarist Earl Slick, Rocker formed the band Phantom, Rocker & Slick and recorded two albums for EMI Records titled Phantom, Rocker & Slick and Cover Girl. The song "Men Without Shame" landing Rocker back on MTV and in the charts.[19] For Black Top Records, Rocker released the albums Big Blue (1994) and Atomic Boogie Hour (1995). He has also recorded for Alligator Records.[20]

He released the album, Bulletproof, in 2003. His other albums included Black Cat Bone, released in August 2007, which featured Brophy Dale on guitar and Jimmy Sage on drums.[12] Buzz Campbell (Hot Rod Lincoln and Sha Na Na) joined the band three years prior and gave them a Gretsch guitar sound. In 2011, Lee released an EP called The Cover Sessions which features cover versions of songs such as the John Lennon/Paul McCartney song "Come Together", Elton John's "Honky Cat", and the Allman Brothers song "Ramblin' Man".[21] In addition to recording and touring, Rocker has hosted a radio show on KXFM, Rumble and Twang with Lee Rocker.[22] Lee Rocker joined the cast of the Broadway hit Million Dollar Quartet as bassist Clayton Perkins, the brother of Sun Records recording artist Carl Perkins in a twelve-show run from January 21 through 31, 2011. He topped off the show with a special encore performance with the cast and an appearance on New York Today.[23]

Lee Rocker's latest band consists of Buzz Campbell (electric guitar & banjo), Larry Mitchel (drums), and Phil Parlapiano (piano, accordion, acoustic guitar).

The Low Road (2018–2019)

Lee's latest album The Low Road was recorded live with his four-piece band at Daryl's House in Pawling, NY (a listening room venue owned by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates). Initially, it was released via physical prints of CD/DVDs & vinyl in December 2018. It was released via digital streaming on August 9, 2019

40 & reunion tour with Stray Cats (2018–2019)

After a ten-year hiatus from Stray Cats, Rocker reunited on stage with Setzer and Phantom in 2018 at the Viva Las Vegas Festival and a 2019 summer world tour was announced.[24] The Stray Cats released their tenth studio album 40 in May 2019.[25]

"Dog House Shuffle" (2019)

On October 29, 2019, Billboard.com premiered Rocker's latest single and music video for "Dog House Shuffle". In an interview with the magazine, Rocker said about the song: "It's a tribute in a lot of ways...It's a song I wrote over the last couple of months. I was thinking about my career with 40 years of Stray Cats and all of that and thinking about the upright bass, which is what started this thing. It takes me back to the opening line of the song -- which is "Took me 'round the world and I changed my name/found a little fortune, found a little fame/Doin' the dog house shuffle"—which is right out of my story. Dog House is what they call the upright bass, so it's a tribute to the bass itself and a lot of the players that I came up listening to." On October 30, 2019, "Dog House Shuffle" was officially released on all digital platforms.[26]

Awards and honors

In 2013, Rocker received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Bass Player magazine and gave master classes in London and Los Angeles. He is a member of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Visionary Artist Award from the Laguna Beach Arts Council.

Discography

  • Lee Rocker's Big Blue (1994)
  • Atomic Boogie Hour (1995)
  • No Cats (1998)
  • Lee Rocker Live (1999)
  • Blue Suede Nights (2001)
  • Bulletproof (2003)
  • Upright and Kickin' (2003)
  • Burnin' Love: The Best of Lee Rocker (2004)
  • The Curse of Rockabilly (2005)
  • Racin' the Devil (2006)
  • Black Cat Bone (2007)
  • The Cover Sessions (2011)
  • Night Train to Memphis (2012)
  • The Low Road (2019)
  • Gather Round (2021)

References

  1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Lee Rocker Biography". AllMusic.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  2. ^ Daniel J. Wakin (4 June 2009). "Ending a 60-Year Gig at the N.Y. Philharmonic". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
  3. ^ "This Cat Never Strayed". OC Weekly. Orange County, California. February 20, 2003. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  4. ^ Wakin, Daniel J. (2009-06-04). "Stanley Drucker Ends a 60-Year Clarinet Gig". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b "Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker tells his story on for Bass Players Only". Forbassplayersonly.com. 2010-10-11. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Lee Rocker to play at Helsinki Hudson". Poughkeepsie Journal. New York. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  7. ^ Thomas Staudter (2006-04-09). "Set This Idea to Music: A Stray Cat Has 9 Lives". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-11-22.
  8. ^ "Putting it all together". 2013-09-03.
  9. ^ "Drucker's Fall collection launch 'a dream come true'". 2013-09-24.
  10. ^ "Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker tells his story on for Bass Players Only". Forbassplayersonly.com. 2010-10-11. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  11. ^ a b "Stray Cats Reunite, Return to Rockabilly". Chicago Tribune. Illinois. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Double-Bassist Lee Rocker Is Still Jamming and Touring". AXS. Archived from the original on 2018-10-16. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  13. ^ "Stray Cats' Debut Album & the Rockabilly Revival". BestClassicBands.com. 2018-08-26. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  14. ^ "Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats Headed to Million Dollar Quartet | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com". Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
  15. ^ "Brian Setzer's Stray Cats to reunite for first show in 10 years". Consequence of Sound. 2018-01-04. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  16. ^ "Stray Cats". Grammy.com. 2019-06-04. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  17. ^ "Grammy Award Nominees 1982 - Grammy Award Winners 1982". AwardsAndShows.com. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  18. ^ "Lee Rocker Talks About the Stray Cats and Rockabilly's History". The Los Angeles Beat. 2017-09-08. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  19. ^ "Orange Coast Magazine". Emmis Communications. January 1986. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  20. ^ "Lee Rocker on Mountain Stage". NPR. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  21. ^ "Lee Rocker Releases the Cover Sessions EP". NoTreble.com. 2011-03-22. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  22. ^ "Lee Rocker's Rumble & Twang on KX 93.5". KXFM. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  23. ^ "Million Dollar Quartet to Celebrate Lee Rocker With Stage Jam Session". Broadway World. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  24. ^ Taylor Hamby (2018-08-17). "Stray Cats Strut Their Stuff For Two Reunion Shows in Costa Mesa". OC Weekly.
  25. ^ "The Stray Cats mark 40th anniversary with new album and tour". Consequence of Sound. 2019-03-07. Retrieved 2019-08-07.
  26. ^ Graff, Gary (2019-10-29). "The Stray Cats' Lee Rocker Pays Homage to His Influences on 'Dog House Shuffle': Premiere". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-07-10.

Read other articles:

جزيرة ميون

جزيرة ميون  - عزلة -  الموقع الجغرافي تقسيم إداري البلد  اليمن[1] المحافظة محافظة تعز المديرية مديرية ذباب (باب المندب) خصائص جغرافية إحداثيات 12°39′35″N 43°25′15″E / 12.659722222222°N 43.420833333333°E / 12.659722222222; 43.420833333333  [2] المساحة 13 كيلومتر مربع  الارتف...

 

Inconstant Star

1991 novel by Poul Anderson This article is about the 1991 science fiction novel. For the artistically described twinkle of stars, see twinkling stars. For the scientifically described variability of stars, see variable star. Inconstant Star Cover of first editionAuthorPoul AndersonCover artistLarry ElmoreCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglishSeriesMan-Kzin WarsGenreScience fictionPublisherBaen BooksPublication date1 January 1991 (1st edition)Media typePrint (Paperback)Pages314 (paperb...

 

Кавказские языки

Не следует путать с языками Кавказа. Кавказские языки Таксон географическое объединение языков Ареал Кавказ Число носителей около 9 млн Классификация Категория Языки Евразии > Языки Кавказа кавказские языки Состав абхазо-адыгские, нахско-дагестанские, картвельские К�...

الاتفاقية الأوروبية لحقوق الإنسان

الاتفاقية الأوروبية لحقوق الإنساناتفاقية حماية حقوق الإنسان والحريات الأساسيةالدول الموقِّعة على الاتفاقيةمعلومات عامةالنوع معاهدة[1] — الوثائق الدولية لحقوق الإنسان جزء من القانون الدولي لحقوق الإنسان التوقيع 4 نوفمبر 1950الأطراف جميع الدول الأعضاء الـ47 في مجلس أو�...

 

Carman Newcomb

American politician This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources.Find sources: Carman Newcomb – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2024) Carman NewcombMember of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Missouri's 2nd districtIn officeMarch 4, 1867 – March 3, 1869Preceded byHenry...

 

Consorzio nazionale per l'ammortamento del debito pubblico

Il Consorzio nazionale per l'ammortamento del debito pubblico (o Cassa ammortamento debito pubblico) fu un ente italiano istituito nel 1866[1] e sciolto nel 1930[2], avente come scopo quello di contribuire a finanziare il debito pubblico italiano. Indice 1 Storia 2 Note 3 Bibliografia 4 Voci correlate Storia Venne istituito in un periodo particolarmente difficile per le finanze del Regno d'Italia[3] e, per tradizione, vedeva alla sua guida personaggi di sangue reale pa...

Thirumanikkoodam

Hindu temple in Tirunangur ThirumanikkoodamReligionAffiliationHinduismDistrictMayiladuthuraiDeityVaradaraja Perumal,Senkanmal (Vishnu)Thirumamagal,Bhoodevi (Lakshmi)FeaturesTower: KanakaLocationLocationThirunangurStateTamil NaduCountryIndiaLocation in Tamil NaduGeographic coordinates11°10′46″N 79°47′17″E / 11.17944°N 79.78806°E / 11.17944; 79.78806ArchitectureTypeDravidian architecture Thirumanikkoodam or Varadaraja Perumal Temple is located in Thirunangur,...

 

Pepsi Max 400

Former NASCAR race in Fontana, California, United States Pepsi Max 400NASCAR Sprint Cup SeriesVenueAuto Club SpeedwayLocationFontana, California, United StatesCorporate sponsorPepsi MaxFirst race2004Last race2010Distance400 miles (640 km)Laps200Previous namesPop Secret 500 (2004)Sony HD 500 (2005–2006)Sharp AQUOS 500 (2007)Pepsi 500 (2008–2009)Pepsi Max 400 (2010)Most wins (driver)Jimmie Johnson (3)Most wins (team)Hendrick Motorsports (4)Most wins (manufacturer)Chevrolet (5)Circuit i...

 

Penicillina

Le informazioni riportate non sono consigli medici e potrebbero non essere accurate. I contenuti hanno solo fine illustrativo e non sostituiscono il parere medico: leggi le avvertenze. Questa voce o sezione sull'argomento farmaci non cita le fonti necessarie o quelle presenti sono insufficienti. Puoi migliorare questa voce aggiungendo citazioni da fonti attendibili secondo le linee guida sull'uso delle fonti. Formula di struttura della penicillina Modello tridimensionale della molecola ...

Чайки

У этого термина существуют и другие значения, см. Чайки (значения). Чайки Доминиканская чайкаЗападная чайкаКалифорнийская чайкаМорская чайка Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:Вторич...

 

Diocese of Meath and Kildare

Anglican diocese of the Church of Ireland United Dioceses of Meath and KildareDioecesis Unitae Midensis et KildarensisDeoisí Aontaithe na Mí agus Chill DaraCoat of armsLocationEcclesiastical provinceDublin and CashelInformationDenominationAnglicanCathedralTrim Cathedral, Kildare CathedralCurrent leadershipBishopPat Storey, Bishop of Meath and KildareWebsitewww.meathandkildare.org Wall hanging depicting the parishes of the United Dioceses The United Dioceses of Meath and Kildare is a diocese...

 

1970 Austrian legislative election

1970 Austrian legislative election ← 1966 1 March 1970 1971 → 165 seats in the National Council of Austria83 seats needed for a majority   First party Second party Third party   Leader Bruno Kreisky Josef Klaus Friedrich Peter Party SPÖ ÖVP FPÖ Last election 42.56%, 74 seats 48.35%, 85 seats 5.35%, 6 seats Seats won 81 78 6 Seat change 7 7 Popular vote 2,221,981 2,051,012 253,425 Percentage 48.42% 44.69% 5.52% Swing 5.86pp 3.66pp 0.17pp ...

哈萨克斯坦总统

此条目序言章节没有充分总结全文内容要点。 (2019年3月21日)请考虑扩充序言，清晰概述条目所有重點。请在条目的讨论页讨论此问题。 哈萨克斯坦總統哈薩克總統旗現任Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев卡瑟姆若马尔特·托卡耶夫自2019年3月20日在任任期7年首任努尔苏丹·纳扎尔巴耶夫设立1990年4月24日（哈薩克蘇維埃社會主義共和國總統） 哈萨克斯坦 哈萨克斯坦政府...

 

Histoire de la botanique

Buste de Théophraste, considéré comme le père de la botanique. L'histoire de la botanique est l'exposition et la narration des idées, des recherches et des travaux liés à la description, à la classification, au fonctionnement, à la distribution et aux relations des organismes appartenant aux règnes des Champignons, des Chromistes et des Plantes au cours des différentes périodes historiques[n 1],[n 2]. Depuis l'Antiquité, l'étude des plantes a été abordée selon deux approches ...

 

Rhode Island in the American Civil War

Union state in the American Civil War Union states in the American Civil War California Connecticut Delaware Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont West Virginia Wisconsin Dual governments Kentucky Missouri Virginia West Virginia Territories and D.C. Arizona Colorado Dakota District of Columbia Idaho Indian Territory Montana Nebraska New Mexico Utah Washington vte The s...

18th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

2012–2017 Central Committee 18th Central Committee中国共产党第十八届中央委员会← 17th19th →Emblem of the Chinese Communist Party15 November 2012 – 23 October 2017LeadershipGeneral SecretaryXi JinpingPolitburo Standing Committee7Politburo25Secretariat7MembersTotal205AlternatesTotal171ApparatusHead of General OfficeLi ZhanshuNo. of departments4 The 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was elected by the 18th National Congress on...

 

1962 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games

I Commonwealth Paraplegic GamesHost cityPerth, Western AustraliaNations9Athletes93Sport14Events88Opening10 NovemberClosing17 NovemberOpened bySir Charles Gairdner, Governor of Western AustraliaMain venueRoyal Agricultural ShowgroundII Kingston → The First Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, from 10 to 17 November 1962. These Games preceded the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games which were held in Perth from 22 November to 1 December of that...

 

Malad railway station

Railway station in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India MaladMumbai Suburban Railway stationGeneral informationLocationMaladCoordinates19°11′13″N 72°50′56″E / 19.1870°N 72.8489°E / 19.1870; 72.8489Owned byMinistry of Railways, Indian RailwaysLine(s)Western LineConstructionStructure typeStandard on-ground stationParkingAvailable for Two wheelerOther informationStatusActiveStation codeMDDFare zoneWestern RailwaysHistoryElectrifiedYesServices Preceding station Mumbai Su...

Taurine

Aminosulfonic acid not incorporated into proteins This article is about the chemical compound. For the bovine sub-species, see Taurine cattle. Taurine Names Preferred IUPAC name 2-Aminoethanesulfonic acid Other names Tauric acid Identifiers CAS Number 107-35-7 Y 3D model (JSmol) Interactive image ChEBI CHEBI:15891 N ChEMBL ChEMBL239243 Y ChemSpider 1091 Y DrugBank DB01956 N ECHA InfoCard 100.003.168 IUPHAR/BPS 2379 KEGG D00047 Y PubChem CID 1123 UNII 1EQV5MLY3D&#...

 

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy

Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Gemälde von Eduard Magnus, 1846 Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy[1] (oft auch nur Felix Mendelssohn genannt; * 3. Februar 1809 in Hamburg; † 4. November 1847 in Leipzig) war ein deutscher Komponist, Pianist und Organist. Er zählt zu den bedeutendsten Musikern der Romantik und setzte als Dirigent Maßstäbe, die das Dirigieren bis heute prägen. Daneben setzte sich Mendelssohn Bartholdy für die Aufführung von Werken Händels und Johann Sebasti...