Carl Palmer started playing drums at the age of 11 years old. He comes from a long line of musicians in his family going all the way back to his great grandmother who was a classical guitar player. While in school, he left school played in numerous orchestras. He could read music very well & found too easy. He desired a path more exciting and was invited to join a rhythm and blues band called the King Bees, which he did and he never looked back. While playing with the King Bees, he was spotted by Chris Farlowe who had a #1 single in England called “Out of Time” which was written by Keith Richards & Mick Jagger. Chris told Carl that if he ever needed the work, he would have a job with him. When the K.B.’s finished their obligations, it was a week before Carl finished school; which ended on a Friday. He left home that Sunday and auditioned for Chris on Wednesday. He was now in Chris Farlowe and the Thunderbirds. He stayed with them until he was 17. Carl then started playing sessions and met Arthur Brown. He joined the Crazy World of Arthur Brown and before long, had a #1 album and single which brought Carl to America for the first time. He eventually left Arthur Brown to form Atomic Rooster. While recording (a #1 single “Tomorrow Night”) he got a call fromGregg Lake and Keith Emerson, who were looking for a drummer. Carl went to see what Gregg & Keith were doing, at which time they made him an offer that he couldn’t refuse. Just like that, we had Emerson, Lake and Palmer. They amazed audiences and sold millions of records until disbanding in 1978. Carl took a few years off. When he reemerged, in 1981, he joined one of the first “super-groups” called Asia. They rocked their way through the 80’s until disbanding in 1991. Carl rejoined E.L.P. and played until 1998. Carl then formed a prog. rock power trio which he still plays with until today called Carl Palmer’s E.L.P. Legacy.
Clem Burke talks about his ROCK SCENE, career, and time with Blondie, Debbie Harry originally recorded February 2013
Carmine Appice in NYC Originally recorded September 14, 2010 talks about his Rock Scene
Zakk Wylde of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and Ozzy Osbourne at Convention Hall Asbury Park, NJ on October 8, 2010
Snake Sabo of SKID ROW Shares his "ROCK SCENE" recorded August 2014
As a young child, Lita was more drawn to the guitar rather than her Barbie dolls, which she soon rejected after receiving her first guitar.
Steven Van Zandt talks about his Rock Scene originally recorded April 2018
Punky Meadows guitarist from Angel talks about his ROCK SCENE growing up.
Englebert Humperdinck Talks about his ROCK SCENE originally recorded Feb 2012
The first music Adam Slack’s of The Struts remembers is Oasis in the car in England during the 90’s. When he was 10 he got into Michael Jackson and bought his album BAD. His friend turned him onto Green Day right before American Idiot came out. When he saw the video “Minority” he knew what he wanted to do and started a band with a lot of Green Day influences. Watching videos, he learned how to play guitar. At age 15 his mom exposed him to 70’s bands that she listened to in the 70’s, which were more glam and he started listening to Slade, Mott The Hoople and T Rex. A couple years later he got away from the punk and went more glam retro for inspiration. That’s when he met singer Luke Spiller in 2009 through his manager who found Luke on MySpace. Adam talks about opening for the Stones. The gig that changed everything was the first Rolling Stones gig. We managed to get that in Paris. We went over there and opened up for them in France which was insane playing in front of 80,000 people. Adam reached out to a random guy who was a YouTube guitar teacher in LA and sent him a photo in front of the stadium crowd from the Stones show who hooked him up with a guy who he knew and eventually got new management which got them going in the states. Listen more to this exclusive Rock Scene interview here where “All that Rock Lives”. OCT 2018
Jeff Keith of Tesla was first exposed to music by his father, who played guitar for a local bar band in Georgetown, CA. After graduating high school, Jeff bought a guitar chord book and learned his favorite Beatles & Rolling Stones songs to play at campfires. He later auditioned & got the gig for the band City Kidd, and they played Top 40 hits with a few of their own songs mixed in. City Kidd was eventually renamed Tesla. Tesla went on tour with Mötley Crüe in 1990, and Nikki Sixx “in a loving, joking way” described Tesla as “a bunch of tomato farmers from Sacramento.” “We were proud to be tomato famers from Sacramento.” Jeff says. Some of his biggest influences are Steven Tyler, Bon Scott, and his favorite band, Foghat. “Foghat, early ZZ Top; all that good stuff. I’m stuck in the 60’s and 70’s.