Years active 1975–present Name Steve Ferrone | Occupation(s) Drummer Role Drummer Instruments Drum kit | |
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Born 25 April 1950 (age 74) ( 1950-04-25 ) Associated acts Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, Average White Band, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Scritti Politti, Duran Duran Movies Modern Drummer: Festival Weekend 1997 Albums Hypnotic Eye, Mojo, Songs and Music from "She's the, The Last DJ, Anthology: Through the Years | ||
Steve ferrone interviewed by sweetwater
Steven "Steve" Ferrone (born 25 April 1950) is the drummer for the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He is a former member of the Average White Band and has recorded and performed with Duran Duran, Stevie Nicks, Laura Pausini, Christine McVie, Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Bee Gees, Scritti Politti, and Johnny Cash.
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Steve Ferrone Unboxed
Musical career
Ferrone played with the band Bloodstone, appearing on their 1975 album Riddle of the Sphinx. He then began playing with Brian Auger's band Oblivion Express, which had previously featured drummer Robbie McIntosh.
McIntosh later joined the Average White Band, and had just released their first number one album when McIntosh died of a heroin overdose. Ferrone was asked to join AWB in his place, and stayed with them for the next eight years, recording and playing concert tours to support several hit albums, until AWB broke up in 1982.
Since appearing on Chaka Khan's 1978 debut album, he went on to play on most of her following albums of the 80s, many of them with former AWB band member Hamish Stuart. In 1985, Ferrone joined the Saturday Night Live house band. He contributed as session drummer for Duran Duran on the Notorious, Duran Duran, and Thank You albums. He also toured with Duran Duran on the Strange Behaviour tour in support of the Notorious album . He also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton from 1986 to 1992. He played drums for the Alan Parsons rhythm section at Abbey Road Studios for Eric Clapton and others.
He has also appeared on recordings by the Bee Gees, Scritti Politti, Brian May, Anita Baker, George Benson, Jonathan Butler, Bryan Ferry, Climie Fisher, Eric Clapton, Christine McVie, Peter Frampton, Jeff Golub, Rick James, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Freddie King, Tracy Chapman, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Steve Winwood, Michael W. Smith, Morrissey–Mullen, Dick Morrissey, Jeffrey Osborne, Paul Simon, Alan Frew, Laura Pausini, Bernie Worrell and Jaco Pastorius.
Ferrone substituted for Joey Kramer of Aerosmith during pre-production of the band's album Nine Lives while Kramer was grieving the loss of his father.
Ferrone met guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers when the two played a show with George Harrison as part of his Hara and the Hijack band at Royal Albert Hall. He became the band's full-time drummer after the firing of original drummer Stan Lynch in late 1994. Ferrone's first album with the band was Tom Petty's second solo outing Wildflowers, released that same year. His first live appearance as a member of the Heartbreakers in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 28, 1995.
Ferrone has thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Heartbreakers so far: "Everyone should have an experience like 'The Heartbreakers' in their musical life; creativity, passion, honesty, integrity, and a lot of fun."
In November 2002, Ferrone founded Drumroll Studios in Burbank, California, with producer John Jones, who he had worked with since Duran Duran's Ordinary World in 1992. Later, they were joined by guitarist and producer Steve Postell, and they recorded and produced albums and tracks for a wide variety of musical acts, as well as film and TV scores.
Ferrone released a live solo album entitled It Up: Steve Ferrone and Friends Live at La Ve Lee in 2003.
In 2007, he played drums on the self-titled debut album from the band The Black and White Years, produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads.
In 2010, Ferrone played on Slash's first solo album, Slash and joined the Italian band Pooh. He also joined a collaborative project with composer and musician Eric Alexandrakis, guitarist and composer Warren Cuccurullo, and producer and songwriter Anthony J. Resta. Explaining the purpose of that project in a Modern Drummer news release Alexandrakis said, "The four of us decided to create a scoring collective to pursue scoring projects in TV themes, film, and advertising…"
He is a fan of English football club Brighton and Hove Albion (known as "The Seagulls") and can be seen sporting a hat with their badge on it on the video of him drumming with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performing at the Super Bowl 42 half time show.
In 2011 Steve started playing with old friends Alan Clarke and Phil Palmer in a band made up of former Dire Straits alumni called The Straits. The band also consisted of Mickey Feat on Bass, Chris White on Saxophones, Jaimie Squire on keys and vocals, and Terrence Reiss on vocals and guitar.