Lenny Castro (born September 19, 1956) is an American percussionist from the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

area. He is one of the most prolific percussionists of all time, appearing on hundreds of albums, including those by the

Red Hot Chili Peppers The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1982, consisting of Anthony Kiedis (vocals), Flea (musician), Flea (bass), John Frusciante (guitar), and Chad Smith (drums). Their music incorporates elements of a ...

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, U2,

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (abbreviated as EW&F or EWF) is an American band formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1969. Their music spans multiple genres, including jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, Latin and Afro-pop. They are among the best-selling ba ...

, and

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, among others.

Early life

Castro was born and raised in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to parents of Puerto Rican descent. His father, Hector Castro, was a keyboardist for Latin artists such as Johnny Pacheco. Castro attended the

High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as Music & Art (or M&A), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High S ...

where he studied classical percussion.

Career

After graduating high school and playing in local bands around New York City, he was discovered by singer

Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been played by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early li ...

at age 19 and went on tour as her percussionist. Castro later moved to Los Angeles with Manchester where he was introduced to producer Richard Perry. Perry had him play for Diana Ross on her album '' Baby It's Me'' where Castro met session drummer

Jeff Porcaro Jeffrey Thomas Porcaro (April 1, 1954 – August 5, 1992) was an American drummer. He is best known for being the co-founder and drummer of the rock band Toto, but is also one of the most recorded session musicians in history, working on hundr ...

. Castro was then invited to join the band Toto by Porcaro for their debut album tour, later joining them in the studio for subsequent releases. Among his contributions to the band was for their hit single "

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", where he played the ethnic percussion heard on the track. As a freelance musician, Castro has recorded with several other musicians, including

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter, known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasing the album ...

, Joe Sample, and

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, the latter of whom he played with for the Grammy-winning song " Tears in Heaven". Castro was nominated for Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the 46th Annual Grammys for the album ''Rural Renewal'' as part of The Crusaders.

References

External links

Official website

Lenny Castro
at

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 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Castro, Lenny Conga players American jazz percussionists Living people 1956 births American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Musicians from New York City Musicians from Los Angeles American session musicians