Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, better known as Louie Bellson, died a couple of weeks ago at the age of 84. While not really a rock drummer, he was a drummer nevertheless, and worthy of our recognition of the loss of one of the last of the great big band drummers. Of special interest to me was his pioneering use of a double bass drum set, at a time when that sort of thing just wasn't done. At the 2004 event celebrating his 80th birthday, Bellson said, appropriately for the inventor and pioneer of double-bass drumming, "I'm not that old; I'm 40 in this leg, and 40 in the other leg." Well said, dude, and you will be missed! Check out this vid of Louie in his prime, thanks to www.wikipedia.com for the info, and keep on drummin'!
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