Andrea
If there are drummers that have always stood out for their innovative drumming and influence on the music scene, it’s Eddie Bayers. Born on 28 January 1949 in Patuxent River, Maryland, Bayers started showing off his musical interest early in life. He was the son of a military man, so he grew up in different parts of the country. He was in North America for four years.
Although he always had a passion for music, he did not bring it out until his college year. Eddie Bayers trained as a classical pianist in California, after that he started playing with a wide range of local artists. Some of his early partners include Jerry Garcia and Tom and John Fogerty. Through Tom, Bayers started working on studio projects too. Later, he moved to Nashville, where he auctioned at a club to play the piano. The drummer for the band was Larrie Londyn, who inspired Bayers to take on drumming as a profession.
eddie bayers photo
Bayers then set his roots in Nashville as one of the most sought-after studio drummers. He was worked with a long list of musicians, Vince Gill, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Steve Winwood, Peter Frampton, Bob Seger, and Trisha Yearwood. He has played on many gold and platinum albums throughout his career. The drummer has also worked on various movie soundtracks.
He was awarded the Academy of Country Music Drummer of the Year Award, which he held for 11 years straight. No other artist or musician has ever achieved such a level in the history of this academy. That is not all; in 2008, Bayers won his 13th award as the “Top Ten” award in Music Row Magazine. This award goes to a musician who plays the most top ten Country albums many times Bayers had played on such for more than 12 years.
Not very many musicians or artists make it to the Honor Roll for Modern Drummer Magazine – he was put there after winning the readers’ poll five years back-to-back. Apart from that, he was featured on the Top Ten Session Drummers Of All Time in the DRUM Magazine.
Bayers got elected into the National Academy of Records Arts and Sciences (NARAS) Board of Governance from 1992 to 1994, 1997 to 1999, and 1999 t0 2001. He is a member of the NARAS Education Committee and Music Cares, a program by NARAS that helps people in the industry who are in need. The drummer also graduated first class in 1990 in Leadership Music, a course that trains candidates in all facets of entertainment.
Today, Bayers remains one of Nashville’s first-call session drummers. He is one of the busiest musicians around. Bayers also played for The Notorious Cherrybombs, the coolest band in the city. The band was made up of Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Richard Bennett, Tony Brown, and Hand De Vito.
They re-united in 2003 in honor of Crowell. Since they knew it was a one-time performance, the group gave their best. Bayers was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2010 for his immense contribution. He has been one of the busiest and most admired country music drummers for more than 30 years.
