Gene Krupa

The swing era pioneer who made the drummer a star, transforming the role from timekeeper to featured soloist.

Eugene Bertram Krupa was a pioneering American jazz drummer and bandleader who helped legitimize the drum set as a serious instrument. His showmanship with Benny Goodman's orchestra made him the first drum superstar, and his 1936 recording of "Sing, Sing, Sing" is considered a landmark. Krupa's theatrical style and extended solos influenced every rock drummer who followed. He called Buddy Rich "the greatest drummer ever to have drawn breath."