Broadway Beats and Drummer's Tales: A Heartbeat with Legend Billy Lanham

on DRUMS, with John Simeone

Send us a text

As a young drummer, tapping rhythms on school desks and dreaming of the big stage, I never imagined I'd be trading stories with a Broadway legend like Bill Lanham. Yet, here we are in a heart-to-heart, delving into the thrills and spills of his career, from the electrifying beats of Les Misérables to the high-stakes world of live theatre drumming. Billy's family tapestry is woven with threads of classical piano and doo-wop vocals, a heritage that beats strong in his passion for rhythm and sets the stage for our conversation.
Picture yourself in the orchestra pit, lights dim, the audience hushed, and the conductor's baton about to fall. Billy takes us behind the scenes of this pressure-cooker environment, sharing the laugh-out-loud mishaps and nail-biting precision required when subbing for another musician. Meanwhile, he reflects on the bedrock role of a drummer—less about the solos and more about the soul, providing the groove that keeps the musical world spinning. It's a testament to the unseen heroes of the band, grounding flights of jazz solos and anchoring the soaring vocals of Broadway stars.
It's no secret that the music industry's rhythm has changed, skipping beats as seasoned artists navigate the torrent of new talent. Billy and I muse over the evolution from bustling wedding circuits to the intimacy of jazz trio jam sessions with Al Quinn and Dave Segal. These are the moments that define a musician's journey, where the craft transcends performance and becomes a shared heartbeat between artist and audience. So, slip on your headphones and prepare to be swept up in the rhythms of a life rich with music, as I sit down with Bill Lanham, a drummer whose story beats with the pulse of Broadway itself.

Support the show

Chương

1. Broadway Beats and Drummer's Tales: A Heartbeat with Legend Billy Lanham (00:00:00)

2. Drummer Interviews Broadway Veteran Billy Adam (00:00:11)

3. Musical Family and Broadway Drumming (00:06:53)

4. Broadway Show Pit Subbing Experiences (00:19:10)

5. Role of Drummers in Music (00:30:53)

6. Music Industry Challenges and Changes (00:36:59)

7. Jazz Trio Conversation (00:47:14)