DRUMMERBILLLORDAN.COM
Rock
'n' Roll 'n' Soulful Drummer for The Robin Trower Band
and Sly & The Family Stone
|
 By
all accounts, Bill Lordan's drumming career practically happpened
"by accident"... His 6th grade class needed a drummer
for the marching band. Bill reluctantly vol-unteered. This big
first step was encouraged by one Sister Thomas-Martin, and her
rudimentary lesson in time-keeping was just the spark that young
Bill needed to make a career out of drumming.
Bill's
first kit came for Christmas at age 12, and by the next year Bill
was already performing on stage with bands in and around his hometown
of Minneapolis. Summer 1964 found Bill playing with his first
big soul band called the Amazers, and a new friend on bass - Willie
Weeks. A few years later, Bill was asked to join the Esquires,
and did quite a bit of touring up and down the Atlantic coastline.
He was sporting a black hairdo in 1968, the same year the band
received a gold record for the LP "Get Up and Get Away".
The next year, Bill met up with his pal Willie once again and
decided to form the group The Mystics - a great band featuring
a brass section. In fact, they won a Connie Award that year, an
honor bestowed to the state's best talent. It was at this time
that Bill and Willie had the chance to meet and jam with Jimi
Hendrix. The two were invited to New York City, and the infamous
Cafe Au-Go-Go for the sessions. Yearning to play more rock music,
Bill joined Gypsy from 1970-1973. Releasing three albums during
that period ("Antithesis", "In the Garden",
and "Unlock the Gates"), Gypsy was often described as
a band ahead of it's time - and now, years later, still has a
cult following. Bill was flown out to the West coast for session
work with Bobby Womack and Ike & Tina Turner, when he was
discovered by Sly Stone, and immediately recruited as part of
the Family Stone for their "Small Talk" LP in 1974.
The subsequent touring carried him around the world, but Bill's
fondest memory is Sly's wedding on-stage at Madison Square Garden
in New York
Around
this time, a guitarist named Robin Trower was looking for a new
drummer, adn Bill jumped at the chance. "I knew it was perfect
for me" he says, and beat out 25 other guys to get the job.
Bill joined up prior to the release of the "for the Earth
Below" album (1975), and stayed with the band for a good
10 years straight. The constant touring and hard work payed off...
Many of these recordings are considered classics, and have turned
into gold or platinum awards.
After
criss-crossing the planet many times, Bill decided to take some
needed time off. But within a year he found himself back behid
the kit for jams, auditions and recording sessions. Bill played
with the likes of Fortress,
Darrell Mansfield, Lost Angeles and Spellbinder to name just a
few - and even jammed with guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and his
new band Alcatraz. By the mid-90's, Bill was playing and recording
steadily with the Dave Steffen Band. In
2001 Bill Lordan was an integral part of the Charlie
Souza Band on "9
Ball in the Corner Pocket", providing drums as well as
songwriting contributions. Bill is currently spearheading a brand
new project called The Bill Lordan Experiment. Featuring virtuoso
guitarist Eric
Turner and bassist Mark Fry, the band has produced two CD's
so far. BLX is rooted in blues-rock, and is bound to please many
ardent fans of his drumming technique. Bill has come a long way
by "accident", and brings a ton of experience into the
new millennium!
Order
this CD
for $25 (includes shipping)
send
to jameslemon@hotmail.com
DISCOGRAPHY
New
Book by Bill Lordan - 'From the Basement to the Coliseum'
Live
CD's, DVD's and memorabilia. Get yours at: lordanbill@yahoo.com
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