Ernest Carter (born September 7, 1952) is an American

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...

. He has toured and recorded with, among others,

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

David Sancious David Sancious (born November 30, 1953) is an American musician. He was an early member of Bruce Springsteen's backing group, the E Street Band, and contributed to the first three Springsteen albums, and again on '' Human Touch'' (1992), '' Tr ...

, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes and

Paul Butterfield Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer, and bandleader. After early training as a Western concert flute, classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored ...

. During his time with Springsteen, he played the drums on the song "

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Co- produced by Springsteen with his manager Mike Appel and the producer Jon Landau, its recordin ...

". Carter was able to play all forms of

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. He was formally trained and blends a variety of styles into his drumming.Charles R. Cross: ''Backstreets - Springsteen:The Man And His Music'' (1989) His successor as the

E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014, the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recordin ...

's drummer,

Max Weinberg Max Weinberg (born April 13, 1951) is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' an ...

, said that Carter devised a

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

part for "Born to Run" that he could never reproduce in concert, and that he eventually stopped trying. Although best known as a drummer, Carter is also a guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. In 2001, he released a solo album, ''Temple of Boom'', on which he sings and plays all the instruments.

Early life

Carter was born and raised in

Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a decr ...

. As a teenager he excelled in

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

as well as learning to become an accomplished drummer. He gained the nickname "Boom" when police were summoned to his basement after receiving a report of gunshots being fired. When they arrived on the scene, they found the young Carter practicing his drumming. He was a childhood friend of

. In the early 1970s, the two moved to

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

, where they worked as

session musicians A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a record ...

at Alpha Studios. They also performed in a band called Cinnamon and recorded some demos with

Garry Tallent Garry Wayne Tallent (born October 27, 1949), sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being the bass player and a founding member of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen's primary backing ...

. Producer/songwriter

Wes Farrell Wesley Donald Farrell (December 21, 1939 – February 29, 1996) was an American musician, songwriter and record producer, who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s. Career Farrell was born in New York, United States. Farrell's catalogue incl ...

owned the rights to these demos and in 1976 he released them as ''David Sancious''. After Sancious and Tallent were recruited by

to help record his debut '' Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.'', Carter moved to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, and then toured with Little Royal & The Swing Masters, a

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

-influenced band.

Career

In February 1974 when

Vini Lopez Vincent Lopez (born January 22, 1949), nicknamed Mad Dog, is an American drummer. Between 1968 and 1974, he backed Bruce Springsteen in several bands, including Steel Mill and the E Street Band. He also played on Springsteen's first two albums, ...

left the

helped recruit Carter as his replacement. He auditioned for the job in a house belonging to the parents of

and then made his debut with the band on February 23 during a concert at the Satellite Lounge in

Cookstown, New Jersey Cookstown is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within New Hanover Township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located near Fort Dix, the area is served as United States Postal Service ZI ...

. He accompanied Springsteen during an early part of the Born to Run tour, and in August 1974 he laid down the drum track on the song "

" at the

914 Sound Studios 914 Sound Recording Studios, Inc. was a recording studio in Blauvelt, New York, incorporated by Brooks Arthur on August 28, 1970. Some of the artists who recorded tracks and albums in the studio were Bruce Springsteen, Dusty Springfield, Ramones, ...

, his only appearance on a Springsteen album. He made his final appearance with the band on August 14 at the Carlton Theater in

Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Incorporated in 1908, the community is on the Navesink River, the area's original transportation route to the ocean and other ports. Red Bank is in the New York metro ...

.Patrick Humphries and Chris Hunt: ''Springsteen - Blinded By The Light'' (1985) In August 1974,

and Carter left the

and, together with Gerald Carboy (bass), formed their own

band called Tone. At various times the band would also feature

Patti Scialfa Vivienne Patricia Scialfa ( ; born July 29, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Scialfa has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 and has been married to Bruce Springsteen since 1991. In 2014, Scialfa was inducted into t ...

Gayle Moran Gayle Moran (born 1943) is an American vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter. She is from Spring Arbor, Michigan and graduated from Spring Arbor High School (now Spring Arbor University) in 1961. She was a member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra dur ...

and

Alex Ligertwood Alexander John Ligertwood (; ) (born 18 December 1946) is a Scottish singer, guitarist and drummer. Early life, family and education Ligertwood was born in Drumchapel, Glasgow, Scotland. Career He is best known as the lead vocalist of Santa ...

. They signed a recording contract with

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), cong ...

and their 1975 debut album ''Forest Of Feelings'' was produced by

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the '' Mode ...

. Another album, ''

Transformation (The Speed of Love) ''Transformation (The Speed of Love)'' is an album by keyboard player and guitarist David Sancious and his band Tone. It was recorded at Caribou Ranch in Colorado during October and November 1975, and was released by Epic Records in 1976. On the a ...

'', followed in 1976, and a third album, ''Dance Of The Age Of Enlightenment'', was also recorded. However a dispute between Epic and new label,

Arista Records Arista Records ( ) is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously a division of Bertelsmann Music G ...

, over ownership rights meant it would not be released until 2004. One more Tone album, ''True Stories'', came out in 1978 but the band subsequently broke up. During the late 1970s, Carter also played with several bands on the

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...

, including Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. He later played with the Lord Gunner Group, a power rock band led by Lance Larson (lead vocals, guitar) and Ricky DeSarno (lead guitarist). He was the first of three notable drummers to play with the band. He was succeeded by

who was in turn succeeded by

Tico Torres Hector Samuel Juan "Tico" Torres (born October 7, 1953) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Bon Jovi. In 2018, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Bon Jovi. Childhood Hector J ...

. In 1978 Carter toured with the

Paul Butterfield Blues Band The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was an American blues and blues-rock band from Chicago. Formed in the summer of 1963, the group originally featured eponymous vocalist and harmonicist Paul Butterfield, guitarist Elvin Bishop, bassist Jerome ...

and played with them on the German TV show ''

Rockpalast ''Rockpalast'' (''Rock Palace'') is a German music television show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). ''Rockpalast'' started on 4 October 1974. Hundreds of rock, heavy metal and jazz bands have perf ...

''. During the 1980s he performed and recorded with a Jersey Shore blues band, Billy Hector & The Fairlanes. In the early 1980s he performed with the Woodstock, N.Y. rock band, Brian Greene and Direct Drive. On August 14, 1987

joined The Fairlanes as a guest during a performance at

The Stone Pony The Stone Pony is a music venue in Asbury Park, New Jersey, known for launching the careers of many New Jersey music legends, including Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.Asbury Park, New Jersey Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 15,188, a decr ...

. The set included a version of "Savin’ Up", a Springsteen original recorded by

Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...

. Carter later relocated to the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

where he worked with

Harvey Mandel Harvey "The Snake" Mandel (born March 11, 1945) is an American guitarist best known as a member of Canned Heat. He also played with Charlie Musselwhite and John Mayall as well as maintaining a solo career. Early life Mandel was born in Detroit ...

Pete Sears Peter Roy Sears (born 27 May 1948) is an English rock musician. In a career spanning more than six decades, he has been a member of many bands and has moved through a variety of musical genres, from early R&B, psychedelic improvisational rock ...

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues that he develo ...

, Danny Click, J.C. Flyer,

and even in early 2000's

Chuck Prophet Charles William Prophet (born June 28, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. A Californian, Prophet first achieved notice in the American psychedelic/desert rock group Green on Red, with whom he toured and reco ...

. He has also been the drummer in the house band at the '' BAM'' music award show, the ''Bammies'' .

Discography

*Ernest Carter ** ''Temple of Boom'' (2001) *Bruce Springsteen ** ''

'' (1975) ** ''

Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

'' (1995) ** ''

The Essential Bruce Springsteen ''The Essential Bruce Springsteen'' is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen, released on November 11, 2003. The collection is part of a series of ''Essential'' sets released by Sony Music Entertainment, Sony Music. It includes songs from vari ...

'' (2003) *David Sancious & Tone ** ''Forest Of Feelings'' (1975) ** ''

'' (1976) ** ''True Stories'' (1978) ** ''Dance Of The Age Of Enlightenment'' (2004) *David Sancious ** ''David Sancious'' (1977) (unauthorized) ** ''Just As I Thought'' (1979) ** ''The Bridge'' (1980) *Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes ** ''

This Time It's For Real ''This Time It's for Real'' is the second album by New Jersey band Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, featuring three compositions by Bruce Springsteen and Steven Van Zandt, as well as an additional five by the latter. Like their first album ...

'' (1977) ** ''Trash It Up'' (1983) * Billy Hector & The Fairlanes ** ''Hit The Road'' (1986) ** ''All The Way Live '' (1987) *Selected others ** Various artists: ''The Sounds Of Asbury Park'' (1980) **

Billy Squier William Haislip Squier (, born May 12, 1950) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter who had a string of arena rock and crossover hits in the early 1980s. His best-known songs include " The Stroke", " Lonely Is the Night", " My Kinda Love ...

: ''

The Tale of the Tape ''The Tale of the Tape'' is the debut studio album by American rock musician Billy Squier.Strong, Martin C. "The Great Metal Discography." Canongate Books Ltd. Edinburgh, Scotland. 1998. p. 315 It was his first solo album, following two albums w ...

'' (1980) ** Little Bob Story: ''Too Young To Love Me '' (1984) ** Jersey Artists for Mankind: ''We've Got The Love / Save Love, Save Life'' (1986) **

Steve Forbert Samuel Stephen Forbert (born December 13, 1954) is an American pop/folk singer-songwriter. His 1979 song "Romeo's Tune" reached No. 11 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 13 on the ''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary (chart ...

: '' Streets of This Town'' (1988) **

: ''Long Haul'' (2001) ** J.C. Flyer: ''Movin' On (2002) **

Howard Tate Howard Tate (August 13, 1939 – December 2, 2011) was an American soul singer and songwriter. His greatest success came with a string of hit singles in the late 1960s, including "Ain't Nobody Home" and "Get It While You Can," the latter of wh ...

: ''Live'' (2006)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Ernest Living people Musicians from Asbury Park, New Jersey African-American drummers E Street Band members Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes members Jersey Shore musicians American jazz drummers American rock drummers Tone (jazz-fusion band) members 1952 births American male drummers Drummers from New Jersey