DJ Fontana
Dominic Joseph Fontana (born March 15, 1931 in Shreveport , Louisiana , † June 13, 2018 in Nashville , Tennessee ) was an American musician who became known as the drummer of Elvis Presley . Fontana's achievements have been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame .
Under his nickname "DJ" he was hired on the country show Louisiana Hayride with the local house band to appear as a drummer on the show on Saturday evening. In October 1954 he was able to play with the King of Rock 'n' Roll for the first time, and that marked the beginning of a 15-year collaboration between the two musicians. In 1983 DJ Fontana published the book DJ Fontana Remembers Elvis about his collaboration with Elvis Presley.
After the end of his performances with Presley, DJ Fontana also played for well-known names such as Dolly Parton , Roy Orbison , Rod Lane , Carl Perkins , Paul McCartney , Ringo Starr , Ron Wood and Keith Richards . In 2009 he was inducted into the list of members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a sideman . In 2016, Rolling Stone listed him as 13th of the 100 best drummers of all time .
Web links
- Literature by and about DJ Fontana in the catalog of the German National Library
- Interview with DJ (English)
- DJ Fontana Podcast (English)
- Entry into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
- Drummerworld
Individual evidence
- ↑ DJ Fontana, 87, Elvis Presley's Longtime Drummer, Is Dead . ( nytimes.com [accessed August 11, 2018]).
- ↑ DJ Fontana, Elvis Presley's drummer, dead at 87 , accessed on June 15, 2018 (English)
- ↑ 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time. Rolling Stone , March 31, 2016, accessed August 6, 2017 .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fontana, DJ |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Fontana, Dominic Joseph (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American rock and roll drummer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 15, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Shreveport , Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 13, 2018 |
| Place of death | Nashville , Tennessee |