Burleigh Drummond (born September 25, 1951) is an American drummer, percussionist, producer, songwriter, and singer. He is a founding member and the only drummer/percussionist for the five-time

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

Award nominated band

Ambrosia In the ancient Greek mythology, Greek myths, ambrosia (, ) is the food or drink of the Greek gods, and is often depicted as conferring longevity or immortality upon whoever consumed it. It was brought to the gods in Mount Olympus, Olympus by do ...

. He performs onstage in the band with his wife and fellow band member Mary Harris, and the couple are also both active members of

Bill Champlin William Bradford Champlin (born May 21, 1947) is an American singer, keyboardist, guitarist and songwriter. He formed the band Sons of Champlin in 1965, which still performs today, and was a member of the rock band Chicago (band), Chicago from 1 ...

’s Wunderground and their own band Tin Drum.

Early life

A self-described Army brat, Drummond's parents were in the U.S. Army, with his father a full colonel and his mother an army nurse. The family moved often and ended up being stationed in

Ankara, Turkey Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( Etimesgut, Yenimahalle, Çankaya, Keçiören, Altında ...

, where as a child Drummond had an experience: he watched and listened as artisans hammered out a large copper plate, not unlike a cymbal, "spinning and hammering in sublime synchronicity". From an early age Drummond realized he would be involved in the percussive arts.

Career

After playing in various bands, Drummond signed up with a musicians contact service "for $5", and within a week all three members of what would become the band Ambrosia came by his residence and formed the group "before we ever played a note". Drummond has described Ambrosia compositionally as " Joe Puerta and

David Pack David Robert Pack (born July 15, 1952) is an American singer and musician best known as co-founder, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the rock band Ambrosia (band), Ambrosia in the 1970s and 80s. Pack wrote and sang most of Ambrosia’s biggest h ...

were like our Lennon and McCartney and I was kind of the

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

!" Drummond recorded on every Ambrosia record from 1970 to the present, and toured internationally with the band throughout its history.Burleigh Drummond

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. Drummond and his wife, Mary Harris, formed the band Tin Drum in the 1990s, and have released three albums. Harris and Drummond, who married in 1983, have performed together onstage with Ambrosia, Tin Drum, and since 2018 in

’s Wunderground.

References

External links

"Real World"
performed by Burleigh Drummond, Mary Harris, guest

Luis Conte Luis Conte (born 16 November 1954) is a Cuban percussionist best known for his performances in the bands of artists including James Taylor, Madonna, Pat Metheny Group, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and Shakira. He began ...

and Tin Drum
Ambrosia – Official Website

Mary Harris and Burleigh Drummond
interviewed by Gonzo Today in 2017. {{DEFAULTSORT:Drummond, Burleigh Ambrosia (band) members 1951 births Living people