Bernard Purdie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bernard Purdie
Purdie in 2020
Background information
Birth name	Bernard Lee Purdie
Also known as	Bernard "Pretty" Purdie Pretty Purdie Mississippi Bigfoot
Born	(1939-06-11) June 11, 1939 (age 86) Elkton, Maryland, U.S.
Genres	Rock R&B funk soul
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1958–present
Labels	A&M Atco EMI Capitol

Bernard Purdie, also known as "Pretty Purdie," is an amazing American drummer. He was born on June 11, 1939. He is famous for his super accurate timing and a special drum beat he created called the "Purdie Shuffle." In 2013, he was honored by being added to the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame.

Bernard also released his own albums, like Soul Drums in 1968. Other solo albums include Purdie Good! (1971) and Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972). In the 1990s, he was part of a group called the 3B's.

About Bernard Purdie

Bernard Purdie was born on June 11, 1939, in Elkton, Maryland. He was one of 15 children. From a young age, he loved making rhythms by hitting cans with sticks. He learned drumming by listening to lessons given by Leonard Heywood. Later, he took lessons from Heywood and played in his big band. Bernard looked up to many famous drummers like Papa Jo Jones and Buddy Rich.

In 1961, he moved to New York City. There, he played music sessions with other artists. He often visited the Turf Club, a place where musicians and music people met. During this time, he played for saxophonist Buddy Lucas, who gave him the nickname 'Mississippi Bigfoot'. Soon, Barney Richmond hired him to play drums for recordings.

Bernard played drums for James Brown in 1965. He is credited on James Brown's albums Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud (1969) and Get on the Good Foot (1972).

In 1970, Bernard started working with the legendary singer Aretha Franklin as her music leader. He worked with her for five years. He also played drums for King Curtis and the King Pins, who often opened for Aretha. They performed together at the Fillmore West in 1971. His most famous song with Aretha Franklin is "Rock Steady." He said playing with Aretha was like "floating in seventh heaven."

Bernard played drums on the soundtrack for the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978). In 2009, he was the drummer for the Broadway show Hair. In 2016, he received a special honorary degree in music.

Bernard has lived in New Jersey for many years. In 2023, he moved to New Bern, North Carolina. In September 2024, he received a "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the UK Drum Show in Liverpool.

Bernard's Drumming Style

Purdie shuffle variants.

Purdie shuffle variant.

Bernard Purdie is known for his amazing "groove" drumming and perfect timing. He uses precise backbeats and special rhythms. His unique hi-hat sound, which goes pish-ship, pish-ship, is very recognizable.

He created the famous drum beat called the "Purdie Half-Time Shuffle." This beat is a blues shuffle with extra quiet notes on the snare drum. You can hear variations of this shuffle in songs like Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain", the Police's "Walking on the Moon", and Toto's "Rosanna". Bernard himself played this shuffle on Steely Dan's songs "Babylon Sisters" and "Home At Last."

Bernard's Albums

Bernard Purdie has released many albums as a band leader or co-leader. Here are some of them:

• Soul Drums (1967)
• Purdie Good! (1971)
• Stand by Me (Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get) (1972)
• Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972)
• Shaft (1973)
• Lialeh (Original Movie Soundtrack) (1974)
• Delights of the Garden (1975)
• Purdie as a Picture (1993)
• Bernard Purdie's Jazz Groove Sessions in Tokyo (1993)
• Coolin' 'N Groovin' (A Night At 'On-Air') (1993)
• After Hours with the 3B's (1993)
• Soothin' 'N Groovin' With the 3B's (1994)
• The Hudson River Rats (1995)
• Fatback! The Jazz Funk Masters Featuring Bernard Purdie (1995)
• Kick 'N Jazz (1996)
• Soul to Jazz I (1996)
• Soul to Jazz II (1997)
• In the Pocket (1997)
• Get It While You Can (1999)
• The Masters of Groove Meet Dr. No (2001)
• King of the Beat (2001)
• Purdie Good Cookin' (2003)
• The Godfathers of Groove (2007)
• The Godfathers of Groove 3 (2009)
• Jersey Blue (2009)
• Selling It Like It Is (2013)
• Cool Down (2018)

Playing with Other Artists

Bernard Purdie has played drums for many other famous musicians. This is called being a "sideman" or "session musician." Here are some of the artists he has worked with:

See also

In Spanish: Bernard Purdie para niños