Charley Drayton | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Drayton performing withCold Chisel in 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Leslie Drayton |
| Also known as | Seedy |
| Born | (1965-05-09)May 9, 1965 (age 59)[1] New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Session musician, producer, arranger |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1973-present |
| Member of | |
| Formerly of | |
Charles Leslie Drayton (born May 9, 1965)[1] is an American multi-instrumentalist and producer, known primarily as a drummer. Artists he has recorded or performed with includeThe Cult,Keith Richards,The Rolling Stones,Paul Simon,Neil Young,Miles Davis,Herbie Hancock,Johnny Cash,Chaka Khan,Mariah Carey,Seal,Bob Dylan,Iggy Pop,Janet Jackson,Courtney Love,Michelle Branch,Andrés Calamaro,Hiram Bullock,[2] and many others.[3]
Drayton played with Australian rock bandDivinyls from 1991 to 2008. He married Divinyls frontwomanChrissy Amphlett on July 27, 1999. Amphlett died on April 21, 2013, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Drayton has a daughter, Everly (born 21 August 2013), withAdria Petty, daughter ofTom Petty.[4]
Drayton was a child prodigy who first recorded as a drummer at age eight and began touring professionally at fourteen. He was born inBrooklyn,New York City to a musical family: his grandfather,Charles H. "Charlie" Drayton (1919–1953), abassist, had performed and recorded with many jazz greats, notablyBenny Carter,Ben Webster,Billie Holiday,Coleman Hawkins,Woody Herman,Jack Teagarden,Louis Armstrong, andFletcher Henderson. His father, Bernard ("Bernie") Drayton, was a prolific studio audio engineer and producer. Bernard was the audio engineer forJohn Coltrane's last recording,The Olatunji Concert: The Last Live Recording.
In 1985, Drayton contributed percussion work on theRolling Stones' albumDirty Work, which ledKeith Richards to ask him to become a founding member of his side projectX-pensive Winos in 1987. As bassist, Drayton toured and recorded with Richards and the Winos until December 1992, and played on their albumsTalk Is Cheap andMain Offender, and the live album and videoLive at the Hollywood Palladium, December 15, 1988.[5] Richards describes Drayton as one of his all-time favorite drummers.[6]
Drayton played drums on four tracks ofThe B-52's 1989 albumCosmic Thing, including the singles "Channel Z" and "Love Shack". However,Zack Alford, who subsequently toured with the group on drums, appeared in the videos for both songs.
Drayton played bass guitar alongsideNeil Young on the September 30, 1989,Saturday Night Live performance of "Rockin' in the Free World".[7]
He played bass guitar onThe Cult's 1991 albumCeremony.[8]
He played drums on two albums for Australian bandDivinyls: 1991'sDivinyls and 1996'sUnderworld (which he also produced), the band's last album before their hiatus in late 1996. In 1999, Drayton married Divinyls' lead singerChrissy Amphlett and the couple lived inNew York City. In 2007, Divinyls reformed and Drayton played drums in their touring band and in their new recording sessions, also producing the band's new album.[9] Amphlett died of complications from breast cancer andmultiple sclerosis on April 21, 2013.
In 2008 and 2009 he recorded and toured withPaul Simon. In 2010 he toured withSimon & Garfunkel. Paul Simon said "Charley's the heart of the band and I'm very grateful that I have him. He comes in prepared, real serious and he’s a delight. He’s an all around great musician and a fine, fine drummer."
He has been recording and touring with Australian rock bandCold Chisel since 2011, following the death of original drummerSteve Prestwich.
Drayton co-produced and played various instruments onFiona Apple's albumThe Idler Wheel..., released in June 2012.[10]
In 2014 he played drums on French chart topperJohnny Hallyday's albumRester Vivant.
In 2015 he played drums on Hallyday's albumDe L'Amour, as well as on the number two charting albumKaze no Hate Made by Japanese artistKazuyoshi Saito.
In 2017 Drayton played drums on a worldwide tour with Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul.
Between November 2021 and November 2022, Drayton was a member ofBob Dylan's backup band during four legs and 103 concerts of hisRough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour.
Drayton was one of the major critics of Divinyls guitarist Mark McEntee's plans to reform the group with a new singer, stating in an angry Facebook post that McEntee's actions were the "ultimate disrespect" toward Amphlett.
WithFeargal Sharkey
WithKeith Richards
WithDivinyls
WithEddie Money
WithIvan Neville
WithAndrés Calamaro
WithRosanne Cash
WithMarc Cohn
WithGavin DeGraw
WithFiona Apple
WithBeth Hart
| International | |
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