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Kenny Aronoff
Growing up in Massachusetts, Kenny joined his
first band at age ten. At the time a self-taught drummer, he
played in local bands throughout junior high and high school,
playing rock 'n' roll. At sixteen, he decided to focus on
classical music, and began to study seriously with members of
the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He went on to study at the
University of Massachusetts and at Indiana University, where,
among other honors, he was awarded the school's prestigious
Performer's Certificate. During the summers, he participated in
the Aspen and Tanglewood Music Festivals.
After graduating from Indiana University in
1976, Kenny passed on several offers of timpani positions in
other countries, and decided to head for the East Coast, where
he studied drum set in Boston and New York. During this
time he began to concentrate on jazz and fusion music, and in
1977 he returned to Bloomington, Indiana and spent several years
in a popular local band, playing throughout the Midwest. He eventually heard of an opening in another Indiana band, and
in 1980 he began a long and extraordinarily productive
relationship with John Mellencamp.
In the Mellencamp band, Kenny developed a
powerful and innovative style. His solid backbeat became the
driving force behind Mellencamp's long run of definitive hit
records. During time off from the Mellencamp band, Kenny
developed an enormously successful career as a studio musician,
playing on hundreds of records, and doing live shows and tours
with many different artists.
In recent years, Kenny has played major tours
with The Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Seger, Melissa Etheridge, John
Fogerty and Joe Cocker as well as many limited promotional dates
for a wide variety of artists. In addition, from 1993 to 1997
Kenny was an Associate professor of Percussion at Indiana
University.
Kenny has worked with many of the world's top
artists including Bob Seger, Melissa Etheridge, The Smashing
Pumpkins, John Mellencamp, Jon Bon Jovi, Elton John, Bob Dylan,
Waylon Jennings, Bonnie Raitt, John Fogerty, Joe Cocker, Mick
Jagger, Alice Cooper, The Rolling Stones, Meat Loaf, Willie
Nelson and many others. With a style of playing that
combines power and finesse, Kenny was named the #1 Pop/Rock
Drummer and the #1 Studio Drummer for 5 consecutive years by the
readers of Modern Drummer Magazine.
The Official Kenny Arnoff Website
http://www.kennyaronoff.com
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