I rode the bus to school in 7th grade and every day my friend would get on the bus carring his Acrolite snare drum. I thought he was cool so I asked my parents if I could join band and get a drum, loved it ever since.

When I was a kid my uncle had a gold sparkle Ludwig I remember it set up at the holidays I use to sit on it I was hooked to this day the lure of gold has had me hooked

Gary

My dad was in the Sea Cadets and had an old Leedy snare that he kept as he got older. Every Christmas, and other holidays, after imbibing a bit, my dad took out his drum. One of my grandfathers played the accordion. The other, various wind instruments. They were terrible but, it was all fun! That`s what really mattered. When I was about fourteen, a buddy was learning a few chords on an old acoustic guitar someone had given him. Another friend sang in the church choir. The Beatles had just appeared on Sullivan. Yep, you guessed it. My dad gave me the snare and we were off! I still play with the choir kid who also learned to be a fine guitar player. That`s fifty-six years ago! Still love every minute!!!

Brian

10th grade, early 80’s. A friend of mine was selling a Rogers Black Diamond 3 pc. kit with a crusty Supra, hardware and cheap cymbals for $100. Mezmorized by Bonham, Peart, and Copeland at the time, I had just enough to buy them. When my parents would go to the store, I would run back and forth to the living room to set them up near the stereo because the headphone cord was only a few feet long. Boston’s first album, and Physical Graffiti were what I played to for at least a year.

Wish. I still had that kit.

A good friend in HS was a great guitar player and we played at parties through HS.

Dozens of bands since! 7 drum kits, and over 25 snare drums, vintage pies and hardware!

51 and still love it!

I wanted to play the drums for almost as long as I can remember. But, I grew-up in an apartment and mom and dad said "no drums, here's a guitar!" So, I wound up playing and Ibecame a half-decent Dickey Betts inspired guitar player.

But the drum bug has never left me, and now that I am retired and turning 60 this month, yeah, 60! I figured its time to see if I'm the drummer I always thought myself to be. I just bought my first kit, a 60's MIJ, and I'm just awaiting hardware and cymbals and Ill be ready to play. I have no idea where this zany idea will take me, (and neither does my wife! Oooof!) but I'm psyched and ready for...for.....whatever!

I attended a wedding reception with Mom and Dad back in 1957 at age 10. There was a 3-piece rock & roll combo playing and I can still remember the drummer playing a 4 piece WMP kit. He thunderstruck me as being the coolest guy on this planet !! He even played a couple of ballads with a brush in his right hand while smoking a cigarette with his left ! Drums have been a part of my life ever since.

I should have preceded my post above with this :

"Hello my name is Doug ..... I'm a drumaholic"

My parents started getting me drums for Christmas from the age of 3 or so. And they were just thinking they were toys. It didn't really hit me solidly until I saw Ringo Starr on his riser on the Ed Sullivan show. Then I got a Rogers catalog for 67-68 in the spring of '67. Then a set of MIJ in the fall. The story goes on from there....

I accompanied my grandparents to a church bazaar one evening at age seven, and at the end of the night, while they were helping to clean up the church rec room, I took two coat hangers and started playing double strokes on the back of a folding chair in time with the canned music being played over the PA. My grandfather saw this and next day, showed up at the house with a toy drum, sticks and practice pad. That was all it took, but I didn't start taking lessons until age thirteen. That was fifty-five years ago.I took a break from bands for a few years from 76-79, but am currently in three bands and working freelance when time allows. I think I have fourteen gigs booked this month alone.