I don't think it's any accident that Buddy Rich's daughter Cathy and Phil Collins are fast friends. If Collins weren't a serious drummer, I doubt Buddy would have posed for this picture.
I don't think it's any accident that Buddy Rich's daughter Cathy and Phil Collins are fast friends. If Collins weren't a serious drummer, I doubt Buddy would have posed for this picture. |
Buddy may have been acerbic, moody, unpredictable, self-confident, and volatile, but pompous he was not. He also toured his band tirelessly, playing at least 60% of his gigs at high schools to expose the next generation to jazz. He also threw a party for Gene Krupa when Gene was in the last stages of leukemia, and made sure all the jazz greats that Gene had played with had a chance to say good-bye. Heifetz and Horowitz were known in their lifetimes for a bit of arrogance as well, but they--and Buddy--represented the pinnacle of what could be done with their instruments. |