Gary Mallaber (born October 11, 1946 in Buffalo) is a Los Angeles session drummer, percussionist and singer. He attended Lafayette High School, where he and Bobby Militello, along with other musicians, were mentored by saxophonist

Sam Scamacca Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...

. Mallaber got his start playing drums in a Buffalo band known as

Raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between " crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigne ...

. Mallaber was the drummer-percussionist and backing singer for the 1980s band Kid Lightning, who released an album with

Gerard McMahon Gerard Thomas McMahon, also known as Gerard McMann and G Tom Mac, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who specialises in creating music for films and TV. His gothic rock anthem "Cry Little Sister" was recorded ...

in 1981 entitled '' Blue Rue''. Mallaber plays keyboards and sings on many albums by well-known rock artists. He is probably best known for his work as drummer-percussionist, backup singer, and co-composer for The Steve Miller Band. He has also played with the

Greg Kihn Band The Greg Kihn Band is an American band that was started by frontman Greg Kihn and bassist Steve Wright. Their most successful singles include " The Breakup Song (They Don't Write 'Em)" ( ''Billboard'' Hot 100 #15) and "Jeopardy" (''Billboard'' ...

. Mallaber was offered the job as drummer in

Kiss A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

, as a replacement when

Peter Criss George Peter John Criscuola (born December 20, 1945), better known by his stage name Peter Criss, is a retired American musician, best known as a co-founder, original drummer, and vocalist of the hard rock band Kiss. Criss established The Ca ...

had left in 1980 but he did not accept the offer. Mallaber was the main studio drummer for

Eddie Money Edward Joseph Mahoney (March 21, 1949 – September 13, 2019), known professionally as Eddie Money, was an American singer and songwriter who, in the 1970s and 1980s, had eleven Top 40 songs, including "Baby Hold On", " Two Tickets to Par ...

for most of his earlier recordings and has played on some

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

and

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solo albums. He was also in the 1974

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film '' Phantom of the Paradise''; in addition to performing on the film's soundtrack he is seen in the film as the drummer for the Juicy Fruits, the Beach Bums, and The Undeads. In addition to drums, Mallaber plays

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist ...

on some of Morrison's records. As well as being featured on Miller, Morrison and Springsteen's albums, Mallaber has also played on hit singles by

Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...

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, Paul Williams,

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and

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. Some of the other artists Mallaber has recorded with include

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Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and The Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s, break ...

, Joe Brucato,

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...

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and

. Since March 7, 2009, Mallaber has been standing in as temporary drummer for

Dave Mason David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock mu ...

during his 2009 tour. He endorses Drum Workshop, Zildjian, and Regal Tip.

References

External links

* *
Modern Drummer interview with Gary Mallaber
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mallaber, Gary 1946 births Living people American session musicians Musicians from Buffalo, New York Steve Miller Band members 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians Lafayette High School (Buffalo, New York) alumni