William "Bill" Kreutzmann Jr. (May 7 1946-present)
The grandson of renowned Chicago Bears football coach, Clark O'Shaughnessy, William "Bill" Kreutzmann was born on May 7, 1946 in Palo Alto, California. His father, William Sr., worked as an attorney for a local San Francisco department store, while his mother Janice taught dance classes at Stanford University. Bill developed a sense for music at a young age, as a child he would often help his mother prepare for her choreography lessons by hammering a small indian drum. Surely, the beat of the drum had him captivated and he would practice in any way he could, from tapping on the handlebars of his bike to inventing a beat on his bedroom desk. Beginning the year 1959, when he was thirteen, Bill began taking drum lessons once a week from Lee Anderson, a Stanford graduate student with a uniquely bohemian lifestyle. Tensions were often high at home, but Bill remembers the kind of relief he felt after pounding on his drums. He said, "When I was a kid, I'd have fights with my parents, then... beat the shit out of my drums for hours." Serving as a blissful escape, his drums offered him solace during the divorce of his parents. With family life strained, it was best for Bill to go to boarding school, so he spent a year at the Orme School in Arizona where he was encouraged by Aldous Huxley to embrace the sound of the drums.
By the end of 1964, he helped co-found the Warlocks with fellow band mates, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Ron McKernan. By this time, Kreutzmann was used to the band atmosphere, having played the drums for the bay area band called the Legends, featuring Jay Price, a local black lyricist. By the time the Warlocks was formed, Kreutzmann was just eighteen and already married with a daughter. He, his wife Brenda, and their daughter Stacey moved into a small apartment in East Palo Alto around the summer of 1964. Bill's job as a father didn't seem to interfere with his drumming, as his presence in the band was immediately felt. However, he had yet to meet the man who would not only help take his drumming to the next level, but would also have a massive impact on his career.
Kreutzmann met fellow percussionist Mickey Hart in the fall of 1967 and offered him to sit in on a set with the Grateful Dead. The set, according to Mickey Hart, consisted of a six-person band and a two hour long version of the Dead's then-new song, "Alligator." Soon after, Hart would join the band, branding them as innovators since they were one of the only bands to feature two drummers. Kreutzmann was know for his ability to stretch and surpass the percussive limits of music. Paired with Hart, the two had an incredible syncretism and cohesion that allowed them to push the boundaries of fundamental rhythm structure, earning them the nickname "the Rhythm Devils." A staple to the distinctive sound that is the Grateful Dead, Billy's best work might have came between the years 1978-1995 when the duo's lengthy drum duets would be a feature for many Dead shows. Kreutzmann remained a member of the Grateful Dead for they're entire thirty year reign, making him, along with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and Phil Lesh, one of the four band members to have played in every one of the Dead's estimated 2,300 shows.
When the Grateful Dead adventure came to an end in 1995, Kreutzmann took a break from the music scene, instead opting for relaxation at his bungalow in Hawaii. However, he reemerged in 1998 when he collaborated with guitarist Rick Barnett and bassist Edd Cook on their album titled Backbone. In the summer of 2000, he hit the road again with some familiar friends, namely Weir, Hart, Lesh, and Bruce Hornsby, in the band The Other One's and also played with them after they changed the name to the Dead in 2003, 2004, and 2009. Around the same time he was touring with The Other One's in 2002, Kreutzmann began a new excursion with guitarists Neal Schon and Ralph Woodson, along with vocalist Sky Klopps and bassist Ira Walker, and they formed the Trichromes. In early 2002, they released an EP single, Dice with the Universe, that was eventually featured on their debut album, Trichromes. Sometime during the year 2006, to the delight of many Deadhead's, he teamed back up with fellow percussionist Mickey Hart to form The Rhythm Devils, which included Mike Gordon of Phish on bass and Steve Kimock of The Other One's on guitar. The band performs songs from their respective former bands as well as fresh material written by former Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter. Kreutzmann wasn't exactly enthused about trying to recreate the Grateful Dead sound after Jerry Garcia died, although a true symbol of the Grateful Dead, he knew the band died with the passing of Garcia, exclaiming, "Its not the same without Jerry. It never will be."
By the end of 1964, he helped co-found the Warlocks with fellow band mates, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Ron McKernan. By this time, Kreutzmann was used to the band atmosphere, having played the drums for the bay area band called the Legends, featuring Jay Price, a local black lyricist. By the time the Warlocks was formed, Kreutzmann was just eighteen and already married with a daughter. He, his wife Brenda, and their daughter Stacey moved into a small apartment in East Palo Alto around the summer of 1964. Bill's job as a father didn't seem to interfere with his drumming, as his presence in the band was immediately felt. However, he had yet to meet the man who would not only help take his drumming to the next level, but would also have a massive impact on his career.
Kreutzmann met fellow percussionist Mickey Hart in the fall of 1967 and offered him to sit in on a set with the Grateful Dead. The set, according to Mickey Hart, consisted of a six-person band and a two hour long version of the Dead's then-new song, "Alligator." Soon after, Hart would join the band, branding them as innovators since they were one of the only bands to feature two drummers. Kreutzmann was know for his ability to stretch and surpass the percussive limits of music. Paired with Hart, the two had an incredible syncretism and cohesion that allowed them to push the boundaries of fundamental rhythm structure, earning them the nickname "the Rhythm Devils." A staple to the distinctive sound that is the Grateful Dead, Billy's best work might have came between the years 1978-1995 when the duo's lengthy drum duets would be a feature for many Dead shows. Kreutzmann remained a member of the Grateful Dead for they're entire thirty year reign, making him, along with Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, and Phil Lesh, one of the four band members to have played in every one of the Dead's estimated 2,300 shows.
When the Grateful Dead adventure came to an end in 1995, Kreutzmann took a break from the music scene, instead opting for relaxation at his bungalow in Hawaii. However, he reemerged in 1998 when he collaborated with guitarist Rick Barnett and bassist Edd Cook on their album titled Backbone. In the summer of 2000, he hit the road again with some familiar friends, namely Weir, Hart, Lesh, and Bruce Hornsby, in the band The Other One's and also played with them after they changed the name to the Dead in 2003, 2004, and 2009. Around the same time he was touring with The Other One's in 2002, Kreutzmann began a new excursion with guitarists Neal Schon and Ralph Woodson, along with vocalist Sky Klopps and bassist Ira Walker, and they formed the Trichromes. In early 2002, they released an EP single, Dice with the Universe, that was eventually featured on their debut album, Trichromes. Sometime during the year 2006, to the delight of many Deadhead's, he teamed back up with fellow percussionist Mickey Hart to form The Rhythm Devils, which included Mike Gordon of Phish on bass and Steve Kimock of The Other One's on guitar. The band performs songs from their respective former bands as well as fresh material written by former Grateful Dead lyricist, Robert Hunter. Kreutzmann wasn't exactly enthused about trying to recreate the Grateful Dead sound after Jerry Garcia died, although a true symbol of the Grateful Dead, he knew the band died with the passing of Garcia, exclaiming, "Its not the same without Jerry. It never will be."