Hal Blaine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hal Blaine
Blaine recording at the Record Plant in 1995
Background information
Birth name	Harold Simon Belsky
Born	(1929-02-05)February 5, 1929 Holyoke, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	March 11, 2019(2019-03-11) (aged 90) Palm Desert, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock and roll
Instruments	Drums percussion
Years active	1949–2019
Associated acts	The Wrecking Crew The Beach Boys The Byrds Frank Sinatra Dean Martin Johnny Rivers Simon & Garfunkel Neil Diamond John Denver Barbra Streisand Captain & Tennille The Carpenters The 5th Dimension

Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an amazing American drummer. He was known as a session musician, which means he played drums for many different artists in the recording studio. People say he was one of the most recorded drummers ever! He played on over 35,000 recording sessions and 6,000 singles.

Hal Blaine's drumming can be heard on 150 songs that made it into the Top 10 in the US. A huge 40 of those songs even reached number one! He was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and later moved to California. There, he started playing jazz and big band music. Soon, he became a key player in the rock and roll scene.

He was a main member of a famous group of studio musicians called "the Wrecking Crew". Hal Blaine actually gave them that cool nickname! He played on many hit songs, including "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes in 1963. That song had a drum beat that many other musicians copied. He also played for stars like Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and the Carpenters.

In the 1980s, Hal Blaine's studio work slowed down as music changed. But his talent was not forgotten! In 2000, he was one of the first "sidemen" to be put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2007, he joined the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum as part of the Wrecking Crew. In 2018, he received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his incredible career.

Hal Blaine's Early Life and Music Career

Hal Blaine was born Harold Simon Belsky in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in the United States. His parents, Meyer and Rose Belsky, were immigrants from Eastern Europe. When he was seven, his family moved to Hartford, Connecticut. He started playing drums when he was eight years old. In 1943, his family moved to California.

From 1949 to 1952, Hal learned drums from a teacher named Roy Knapp. Roy Knapp also taught another famous jazz drummer, Gene Krupa. Hal later played with Count Basie's big band. He also toured with singers like Patti Page and Tommy Sands. After touring, he started working as a session musician. Unlike many jazz drummers, Hal loved playing rock and roll. This meant he played on many rock and roll songs in the 1950s.

The Wrecking Crew: Studio Legends

Hal Blaine was a very important member of the Wrecking Crew. This was a group of talented musicians in Los Angeles who played on many hit records in the 1960s. Hal said he came up with the name "the Wrecking Crew". He said the older studio musicians thought these new, younger players were a "destructive force" because they changed the way things were done.

Hal played alongside other famous musicians in the Wrecking Crew. These included guitarists Glen Campbell and Tommy Tedesco, bass players Carol Kaye and Joe Osborn, and keyboard players Leon Russell and Don Randi. Hal Blaine played on thousands of recordings until the mid-1970s.

As computers and electronic music became popular in the 1980s, Hal played less session work. Music producers started using younger musicians and drum machines. Hal still recorded music for commercials for a while. Later, he mostly stopped performing.

Hal Blaine's Passing

Hal Blaine passed away peacefully on March 11, 2019. He was 90 years old and died in Palm Desert, California. His family shared a message that said, "May he rest forever on 2 and 4." This refers to the second and fourth beats in a measure of music, which are often strong drum beats.

Many famous musicians shared their sadness and praised Hal Blaine. Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson spoke highly of his drumming. Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes thanked Hal for the "magic he put on all our Ronettes recordings."

Hal Blaine's Musical Impact

Hal Blaine was an incredibly busy session musician. He estimated he played on over 35,000 recordings, including 6,000 singles. Many people believe he played on more hit records than any other drummer in the rock era.

His drumming is a key part of the "Wall of Sound" on the Ronettes' 1963 song "Be My Baby". This song was produced by Phil Spector. Drummer Max Weinberg said that even if Hal Blaine had only played on "Be My Baby," he would still be respected for his powerful drumming. The famous drum pattern in that song happened by accident! Hal hit the snare drum only on the fourth beat instead of the second and fourth. Phil Spector loved the mistake and kept it in the song.

Facsimile of stamp image used by Blaine

Hal Blaine also helped make the "disco beat" popular. He created a "pshh-shup" sound by opening and closing the hi-hat cymbals on Johnny Rivers' song "Poor Side of Town". This sound was used in jazz before, but recording engineers didn't like it. However, in the 1970s, music producers started asking for this sound.

Hal Blaine had a special rubber stamp that said "Hal Blaine Strikes Again". He used it to mark music sheets and places where he played. He said he started using it not because of ego, but for a reason. Another drummer, Mike Botts, remembered seeing the stamp everywhere. He said, "Every studio I went to in the late sixties, there was a rubber stamp imprint on the wall of the drum booth that said, 'Hal Blaine strikes again.' Hal was getting so many studio dates he actually had a rubber stamp made. He was everywhere!"

In 2014, an actor named Johnny Sneed played Hal Blaine in the movie Love & Mercy. This movie was about Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.

Awards and Special Honors

Hal Blaine played on six songs that won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in a row!

• Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass in 1966 for "A Taste of Honey"
• Frank Sinatra in 1967 for "Strangers in the Night"
• The 5th Dimension in 1968 for "Up, Up and Away"
• Simon & Garfunkel in 1969 for "Mrs. Robinson"
• The 5th Dimension in 1970 for "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In"
• Simon & Garfunkel in 1971 for "Bridge over Troubled Water"

In March 2000, Hal Blaine was one of the first five "sidemen" to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A "sideman" is a musician who plays with a band but isn't a main member. He was also inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2018, he received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his amazing career.

Number One Hits Featuring Hal Blaine

Hal Blaine played drums on 39 songs that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Here are some of them, with the date they reached number one:

Hal Blaine's Albums

Hal Blaine also released some of his own albums:

• Deuces, T's, Roadsters and Drums (1963)
• Drums! Drums! A Go Go (1966)
• Psychedelic Percussion (1967)
• Have Fun!!! Play Drums!!! (1968)
• Buh-Doom (1998)

See also

In Spanish: Hal Blaine para niños

• List of recordings of songs Hal Blaine played on