"Hey Drumbo did you play drums with Captain Beefheart?"
Hi Koko -
No. But I play him on the Internet ... lol. The Captain's "Drumbo" was a fellow named John French - (who BTW has written an excellent book about his days with The Magic Band).
I'm Jimmy Fox - and not the leader/drummer of The James Gang with the same name. Those are the two questions I get asked the most concerning who I am.
I'm "Drumbo Thunder" ... a name I adopted in 1976 when attached to the US Navy Steel Band. All of the members had "stage names" ... "Buddha" Baker, "Tank" White, Lyle "Zute Zacowitz" Sacry, Glenn "Bugsy" Edwards. Cal "Pan Man" Stewart ...etc. While attending the Armed Forces School of Music in Little Creek, VA, my nickname had been "Jay Bee" (derived from my initials) given me by my drum instructor, Master Chief Roland "Gill" Gilbert - but, when I arrived in New Orleans in November of 1975 to take my place as featured soloist with The US Navy Steel Band for their 1976 Bi-Centennial tour - they had me drop the "Jay Bee" moniker because of a member named John "J.P." McKinney. First Class "Duke" Haley didn't like the resemblance.
For the first few weeks they played "name the newb" - I was called "Slim", then "Stix" and eventually "Drumski" ... all of which I hated. I finally borrowed "Drumbo" and added Thunder - which stuck throughout my career as a professional drummer. By the time I adopted it as my Internet handle in the early 90s, John "Drumbo" French had retired, become a recluse, and wasn't using it anymore.
There are over 300 "Drumbos" on AOL alone, and many others at various drummer's forums on the Web, but so far, I seem to be the only Internet Thunder Klown.
