Ralph Gallant (October 15, 1943 − August 24, 1992), known professionally asLarrie Londin, was an American drummer andsession musician. According to journalist James Byron Fox, "If not the best known, Larrie is one of the most listened to drummers in the world. He played on more hit records during his career than any other drummer, with the exception of the legendary session drummerHal Blaine, and his work covers the complete musical spectrum."^[1]

Larrie Londin began playing drums at the age of 15, and was largely self-taught.^[2] Londin initially planned to be a singer, and had an early recording contract withAtlantic Records, but decided to stay loyal to the band The Headliners and signed with Motown under the VIP label.^[1][3]

Londin's first professional drumming engagement was in Norfolk, Virginia, in a club where he was a cook and dishwasher. One night, the engagement drummer did not show up, and Londin substituted.

The full story is that the Eugene Bunten, aka they hatched a plan for Larry to play drums as the younger brother of Lonnie Londin (Eugene E. Bunten) because Larry was underage. From then they became Lonnie and Larry Londin. Lonnie went back to his roots in North Conway playing in local bars - where he was known as "the last great unknown".^[1]

As young men, Larrie Londin and his brother, Lonnie Londin (that he was a bassist), aka Eugene E. Bunten (Kenya Bunten) (March 28, 1939 − February 16, 2020), were members of The Headliners, the first white act to be signed to aMotown record label.^[2][3][4] In 1965, two singles^[5] were released by the Headliners.

During his time at Motown, Londin commenced his career as a session drummer, following a heart attack suffered byFunk Brothers session drummerBenny Benjamin. Motown ownerBerry Gordy asked Londin to play at various sessions, rather than cancel them, due to Benjamin's health challenges.^[1][3] Londin played drums on recordings byThe Supremes,Marvin Gaye,The Temptations andJr. Walker & the All Stars.^[2] Though credited to Benny Benjamin, it is asserted that it was Londin who played drums on Jr. Walker's hit song "Shotgun".^[2][6]

After his time at Motown, Londin joined the band of theTennessee Ernie Ford television show.^[3] Fox states, "He went from being one of Nashville's only drummers to being Country Music's top studio drummer."^[1]

Encouraged by guitaristChet Atkins and singer-guitaristJerry Reed, Londin moved toNashville in 1969, and grew to be regarded as Nashville's top session drummer.^[2] In 1991, Atkins publicly introduced him as "the greatest drummer in the world".^[7] Londin was considered to be a "master class" drummer, and made appearances on the "drum clinic" circuit.^[2]

Londin was known to practice eight to twelve hours a day. He was also one of the first American drummers to record extensively withelectronic drums.^[2] Commencing as of the 1970s, Londin was a contract session drummer forColumbia Records, playing on both country and rock recordings.^[8]

With his wife, Debbie Gallant, Londin established D.O.G. Percussion (named for Debbie's initials), the area's first dedicated drum shop,^[4] which was of interest to a wide range of musicians. For example, at the suggestion of Londin,Hee Haw banjo playerBobby Thompson went to D.O.G. Percussion to add aFiberSkyn head to his banjo.^[9] Always promoting innovation in the session business, Londin mentored younger musicians and proposed the first cartage services for Nashville session players.^[4] One notable drummer whom Londin mentored wasEddie Bayers, now a top Nashville session drummer in his own right.^[10]

While not being able to formally read music, Londin developed "stick charts", which he used to remind himself of approaches to certain songs for which he was contracted as a session drummer. According to Londin, such "stick charts" were common among Nashville session drummers, but not widely known or understood otherwise.^[8] Londin acknowledged that he had obtained a rudimentary knowledge of music charts fromMaster Chief MusicianKenny Malone, who had previously been head of the percussion department at theU.S. Navy School of Music atLittle Creek, Virginia, and came to Nashville as a session musician.^[1]

Londin worked on a handful ofElvis Presley studio and live sessions, albeit in an overdubbing capacity at the behest of Presley’s producer, Felton Jarvis. One notable recording on which Londin appears is the 1980 remix version of "Guitar Man", which was the singer's final No. 1 single on the country charts. He substituted for Presley’s long-time drummerRonnie Tutt in theTCB Band briefly in 1976 and 1977, resulting in Londin playing at Presley's last two concerts, prior to Presley's death, inCincinnati and Indianapolis.^[2] Londin can be heard prominently playing with Presley onA New Kind Of Rhythm! (Madison Records, 2007),^[11] abootleg recording of a 1976 Presley concert at theRiverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati.

Londin stated: "I've had offers to write a book about Elvis, but you know, they really didn't want to publish the stories I had to tell. They only wanted the dirt – the scandal. I never saw him use drugs and I never saw him being mean to people. He had problems, everybody does, but he was a sweet guy – real religious, and he was patriotic, he really loved America. The publishers said nobody wants to read about that stuff. I just couldn't be a part of another book trashing him, he was a real good guy and he was always nice to me."^[1]

In the 1980s, Londin was a member ofThe Cherry Bombs, thebacking band forRodney Crowell. As a session musician, Londin played with a wide range of artists from a variety of musical styles, includingEmmylou Harris,Diana Ross,The Supremes,The Temptations,The Four Tops,Martha Reeves,The Vandellas,Smokey Robinson,Joe Tex,Wilson Pickett,Lionel Richie,Carpenters,Jerry Lee Lewis,Boots Randolph,Charlie Pride,Randy Travis,Porter Wagoner,Dolly Parton,B.B. King,Albert Lee,Larry Carlton,Lee Ritenour,England Dan & John Ford Coley,Bobby Bare,Merle Haggard,Hank Snow,Jerry Reed,Rosanne Cash,Al Green,Don Francisco,Dan Fogelberg,Reba McEntire,KT Oslin,Vince Gill,Ricky Skaggs,Hank Williams, Jr.,Chet Atkins,Ronnie Milsap,Dan Hill,Fosterchild,Journey andSteve Perry. Londin demonstrated the diversity of his playing ability through playingjazz fusion with ex-King Crimson guitaristAdrian Belew. In the years prior to his death, Londin also recorded and toured with theEverly Brothers.^[2]

On April 24, 1992, Londin suffered aheart attack and collapsed during a drum clinic at theUniversity of North Texas.^[1] On August 24, 1992, after spending four months in a coma, Londin died in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 48.

In 1994, Londin was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame ofModern Drummer magazine, in response to the magazine's annual readers poll.^[12]

In 1999, a benefit concert was held, co-sponsored by thePercussive Arts Society andSabian, thecymbal manufacturer with which Londin had been associated, to raise money for musician scholarships. DrummersDom Famularo,Terry Bozzio,Chester Thompson, andWill Calhoun and the percussion groupHip Pickles appeared. An audio and video cassette of the benefit concert were released in 1999.^[13] The scholarship program continues to offer scholarships as of 2012.^[14]

• The Nashville A-Team

• 1943 births
• 1992 deaths
• American rock drummers
• Musicians from Norfolk, Virginia
• American country drummers
• American session musicians
• The Notorious Cherry Bombs members
• 20th-century American drummers
• American male drummers
• 20th-century American male musicians
• Drummers from Virginia

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