Latest Drumming News
Howard Grimes was a drummer with the Memphis soul session band the Hi Rhythm Section, who backed singers including Al Green and Ann Peebles.
- Died: February 12, 2022
- Details of death: Died at Saint Francis Hospital in Memphis of kidney failure at the age of 80.
Musical career:
Grimes grew up in Memphis, where he was inspired to be a drummer after watching Gene Krupa (1909–1973) play on TV. After learning to play drums – he was largely self-taught – Grimes attended school with Isaac Hayes (1942–2008). The two played together in a combo when they were young. Grimes began playing sessions for Satellite Records, later to become the legendary Stax Records, when he was still in school. He later moved on to Hi Records, joining their house band, the Hi Rhythm Section. Grimes developed a reputation there for keeping impeccable time, a trait that earned him the nickname “The Bulldog.” He added his rock-solid beat to hit records including Al Green’s “Tired of Being Alone” and Ann Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand the Rain.” Other singers backed by Grimes and the Hi Rhythm Section include O.V. Wright (1939–1980), Syl Johnson (1936–2022), and Otis Clay (1942–2016). In the years after Hi Records folded, Grimes struggled, spending some time homeless. Later, he returned to music, playing with the Bo-Keys in recent years. Grimes wrote the 2020 autobiography “Timekeeper: My Life in Rhythm.”
Grimes on his influences:
“I came up under the masters,” says Grimes, “and I always go back to my roots. All of the blues artists and and the jazz artists and gospel people, that’s where it all comes from. I never leave them, and that’s where I go.” —from an interview for Bluefat
By Linnea Crowther for Legacy.com
Original Article: HERE
