Robert Gregory Bourdon (born January 20, 1979) is an American musician, best known as a co-founding member and the former drummer of the rock band

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...

. He remained in the band until their hiatus in 2017; when the band members began working together out of the public eye in 2019, he declined to rejoin the band and was succeeded by Colin Brittain.

Early life

Bourdon was born in

Calabasas, California Calabasas (, ; Spanish language in California, Spanish for "winter squash, squashes") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. He received classical piano lessons at a young age. He was inspired to play the drums after attending an

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...

concert, where he was personally introduced to drummer Joey Kramer. He also cites

Tower of Power Tower of Power is an American R&B and funk based band and horn section, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing since 1968. The band has had a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted ...

and Earth, Wind and Fire as his early influences. Bourdon attended Agoura High School in Agoura Hills where he met future bandmates Brad Delson and Mike Shinoda, in the high school's jazz band. Bourdon waited tables at a restaurant and worked as a party coordinator at a bowling alley prior to becoming a full-time musician. He attended Santa Monica College where he studied

accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entity, economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activit ...

Career

Bourdon and Brad Delson formed their own band, Relative Degree. The band played a sell-out concert at the Roxy Theatre before breaking up. Bourdon later joined Delson and Mike Shinoda to form

, then known as Xero, in 1996. The band enjoyed mainstream success with their debut album, ''

Hybrid Theory ''Hybrid Theory'' is the debut studio album by American Rock music, rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at NRG Recording Studios, NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, North Hollywo ...

'' (2000), which would later go on to become 12× Platinum by the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

. Bourdon served as Linkin Park's drummer for seven studio albums and many international tours. Beyond drums and percussion, he also handled the band's business operations with Delson and bassist Dave Farrell. Bourdon played the drums for ten hours a day for seven consecutive days, mainly practicing " Keys to the Kingdom", during the production of the band's sixth studio album, '' The Hunting Party''. He injured his back, but later recovered. He remained with Linkin Park through 2017, when the band went on hiatus following the death of vocalist

Chester Bennington Chester Charles Bennington (March 20, 1976 – July 20, 2017) was an American singer who was the lead vocalist of the rock band Linkin Park. He was also the lead vocalist of Grey Daze, Dead by Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots at various po ...

. Bourdon later informed the other members that he wished to distance himself from the band, and did not participate in re-release promotional activities or the 2024 compilation album '' Papercuts''. Linkin Park announced their reformation on September 5, 2024, with new members, including Colin Brittain replacing Bourdon.

Musical influences

Bourdon's musical influences include

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

, The Police, Bad Religion, Steely Dan, System of a Down, Incubus, and Dave Matthews Band.

Personal life

Bourdon resides in

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, ...

. He is Jewish.

Discography

With Linkin Park

* ''

'' (2000) * '' Meteora'' (2003) * '' Minutes to Midnight'' (2007) * '' A Thousand Suns'' (2010) * '' Living Things'' (2012) * '' The Hunting Party'' (2014) * '' One More Light'' (2017)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bourdon, Rob 1979 births Living people American rock drummers Linkin Park members Nu metal drummers Entertainers from Calabasas, California 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Jewish American rock musicians Jewish heavy metal musicians 21st-century American drummers Agoura High School alumni Drummers from California