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Mickey Waller Biography

mickey-waller
  • Born: September 6, 1944
  • Years Active: 1960s-1970s
  • Member of: The Steampacket
  • Genre: Rock & Alternative

Drummer Mickey Waller was a ubiquitous presence on the London rock & roll scene of the 1960s, keeping time behind a series of icons including Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck, and Ron Wood. Born in London on September 6, 1941, Waller cited a viewing of the 1955 film The Benny Goodman Story as the turning point of his formative years: Gene Krupa's powerhouse big-band drumming captivated him, and he later studied under future Marshall Amplification founder Jim Marshall, with the left-hander later attributing his unusual playing style to learning to play on a kit designed for right-handed drummers. Waller made his professional debut in 1960 with the Flee-Rekkers, who scored a minor hit that same year with the Joe Meek-produced "Green Jeans." After a series of short-lived stints with other London groups, he joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars alongside vocalist Long John Baldry, later turning up with Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames and in 1964 filling in for an absent Charlie Watts when the Rolling Stones played Chatham Town Hall. Two British tours in support of American R&B icon Little Richard preceded Waller's 1965 addition to the Steampacket, a fledgling blue-eyed soul group featuring vocalists Rod Stewart and Julie Driscoll -- when Stewart exited to join the Jeff Beck Group, he brought Waller with him, yielding a now-classic blues-rock LP, 1968's Truth. Around the same time Waller backed Jimi Hendrix during a handful of British dates, and was rumored to be Brian Jones' choice for drummer in a proposed project that never materialized due to the ex-Rolling Stone's July 3, 1969, death. When Stewart began work on his 1969 solo debut, An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down, Waller was again installed behind the drum kit, and he later resurfaced on Stewart classics including Every Picture Tells a Story, Gasoline Alley, and Never a Dull Moment. During the 1970s Waller remained a sought-after studio contributor, additionally joining saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith and bassist Bob Brunning in the Deluxe Blues Band and playing in various incarnations of the group. Waller died of liver failure on April 29, 2008. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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