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Vintage Olympic Drums - Drummers
Below is a list of some famous drummers who started out playing the drums on Olympic kits or drums. How many of them do you know? (Drummers are listed in alphabetical order)
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Brian Downey, drummer with Thin Lizzy, started out on a 1961 Olympic set which is mentioned on his website. He played a Red Sparkle - 18,12,16, with wood snare, Zyn crash & ride. |
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Brian Bennet is the long standing drummer with The Shadows. When he was 13 years old he bought a White Olympic snare drum a stand and a pair of brushes. That was all he could afford at the time until he later played on a Premier kit. |
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Bill Bruford got the gig with mega group YES playing his Olympic kit which he painted Black so that it looked more like a Premier kit. It worked!! |
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Tommy Cunningham from WET WET WET played his first drums on a second hand Olympic kit before moving on to Premier. |
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The Undertones drummer Billy Doherty is now back playing with the band on a Premier Genista kit. He did however start out in the late 1970's on an Olympic kit before moving on to a polychromatic red Resonator kit. |
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Nigel Glockler the drummer with Saxon and numerous other artists is pictured here with his Red Sparkle (I think) Olympic kit. Looks like he is enjoying himself!. |
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New pic from Nigel Glocker |
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Therapy?'s Graham Hopkins was playing a red Olympic snare when he was 3 years old. Was that Red Sparkle or Red Silk Pearl? |
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Kenny Jones of The Small Faces and The Who fame first wanted to learn the banjo but changed his mind after seeing a gleaming white Olympic kit in a shop window. He persuaded his parents to buy it on HP and by the age of 13 he was playing his first gig. |
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Kevin Morris, long-standing drummer of Dr Feelgood began skin bashing on Olympic drums many moons ago. |
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Larry Mullen of U2 fame played his late 70's Olympic kit in the early days of the band. We think the kit pictured is Red. |
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Many thanks to Amanda Klawitter from Chicago for passing on these pics of Larry. |
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Carl Palmer world renowned drummer began his apprenticeship on an early Olympic kit. It consisted of a 20 inch Bass, snare, hi-hat and cymbal. |
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Ringo Starr of Beatles fame didn't as far as we know play an Olympic, he did play Premier before Ludwig. This pic shows him at the famous Ludwig kit and yes, they look like Olympic flush base cymbal stands. Thanks to Tam Rankin for this photograph. |
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Roger Taylor at one time drum throne holder with the mighty Duran Duran also started tapping out paradiddles on his trusty Olympic set. The pic shows stands which are very Olympic looking |
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Paul Thomson drummer with Roxy Music started off with his new Olympic kit bought on HP by his parents. Kit is either White Duroplastic or White Silk Pearl |
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Neal Wilkinson top session drummer and clinician started his drumming career on a trusty Olympic kit and it didn't do him any harm. |
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