Does anyone know if there is a bio on Allen Blaemire, or a history of Blaemire drums anywhere on the web? I've searched, can't find any.John
Hey John,
There is not much to be found, but I did find a great post from DS, that I don't think Jerry would mind me reposting. It has some cool info about Allen. The following was posted in January of 2007.
Blaemire Lives!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My afternoon with Allen F. Blaemire……
Contrary to other accounts of the demise of Mr. Blaemire..... he is very much alive.
This past Sunday afternoon, was the culmination of my odyssey with the Blaemire fiberglass drums. I met Mr. Blaemire and his wife Kirsten. It was an amazing two hours.
This all started about three months ago when I decided to call a phone number that I had seen posted by “Max” on DS. It was in that same group of posts that I saw a posting by “WrapGuru” that he believed that Mr. Blaemire was deceased. With that statement and others, about the demise of Mr. Blaemire I called the number, hoping to maybe find a relative. I called, and Kirsten answered. I asked if she was Mrs. Blaemire, and to my surprise, she said yes! I then told her of my interest in her husband’s shells and that I had just recently restored a set. I began asking questions about the shells and if she might know certain things about how they were produced. She then asked if I would like to speak to Mr. Blaemire……I almost gasped! I inquisitively said…..he’s still alive? She seemed to chuckle and said “Oh yes, of course he is….he has Parkinson's, but he is very much alive!” I was now embarrassed that I had asked the question, but when he came on the line, I proceeded to ask him aspects of his shells and himself. I ended up calling them back over the next few months and finally was able set up an appointment to meet with Kirsten and Mr. Blaemire.
Let me now tell you about last Sunday’s visit with the Blaemires. First off, they are the sweetest couple and were the nicest hosts. Kirsten set up a card table in the garage with chairs around it for us to sit down. Why the garage? This was not just any garage; this was the very garage where these great fiberglass shells were made. And, it also allowed them to set up some of the tools and mandrels that the shells were made on. Kirsten even set up a mandrel with a small section of shell on it so I could see how it all worked together to produce the shell.
In this short visit, I learned a little about Mr. Blaemire and his life. He actually is a mechanical engineer and had worked for the Navel Undersea Center in Pasadena, CA. I believe that is where he first saw a tube constructed of fiberglass. Possibly torpedo tube? He also played drums. He told me he occasionally would set in for Jack Sperling. One of the first drums he built was for Bob Yeager at Pro Drum Shop in California. That was a snare drum that went to Louie Bellson. You can see the snare in one of the pictures posted below. The picture is one of the snare, after it had been in a fire. The date was 1961. Most of us know that Hal Blaine played Blaemire shells, but I found out that Mr. Blaemire never met Hal. That is almost unbelievable. Mr. Blaemire has a set of his own Blaemire’s, in the natural raw fiberglass. They have a high gloss on them. He told me the lugs are some he had designed himself and had die cast. I will post a picture if possible later. After seeing the drum kit I restored, Mr. Blaemire said that he only made one, maybe two sets of this size, tom depth, and double headed. He was trying to remember who had it first, but could not recall.
The apex of the meeting was when he signed one of my shells….it took great effort, and I even said to him, if it was too much, that would be OK…but he seemed to really want to do it….and he did. You can see the signature below and you can also see his photo with me (center) and Joe Voda (left). It was a great afternoon. In closing let me tell you about the graciousness of this couple. Anyone who would meet them would be taken by them. With little knowledge of who I am, they were open and very easy to speak with. Kirsten is an avid amateur photographer and has a gift for taking picture of the great outdoors. And as for Mr. Blaemire….I found him ready and willing to answer any, and all my questions. I hope to stay in contact with them both. It truly was the icing on the cake, for my odyssey, with my Blaemire drums.
This pic is the one that really piqued my interest.;)
