Gene Krupa Forever

Born in old Chicago back in nineteen o' nine
Of nine Krupa kids, he was the end of the line
His daddy up n' died when he was just a baby
Workin at eleven to help the family

Life's a bitch for children when your family is poor
Brother Pete got him hired at ol' Brown's music store
Working as a chore boy taking life as it comes
Until the day arrived that he discovered the drums!

He joined his first band when he was barely thirteen
A boy who was seduced by such a glamorous scene
But mom and dad decided back when he was a waif
"You're gonna join the clergy cuz we're playin' it safe"

Gene got his education from the cath-o-lic school
Workin' towards the priesthood, couldn't RE-SIST-THE-PULLLLL
The drums were callin, and the lure was too great
The young buck had decided that heaven could wait

Who coulda seen it coming?
The Krupa boy who changed the future of drumming!

After he - left Saint Joe's
He studied with Knapp, Straight, and Silverman
Didn't he - let them know
About Baby Dodds
Tubby Hall
and Zutty
Singleton!

At the "Three Deuces", things fell into place
Wailin on the snare and thumpin the bass
with Dorsey, and Goodman, and Bix Beiderbecke
Cozy Cole, Glen Miller, and more names to collect

Bringin' the drums to the front of the stage
Sticks all ablur when the beat was engaged
Developed the hi-hat and the tuneable tom
Slingerlands a-blazin' like an A-tomic BOMB!

Paradiddles, with lightning-speed ring
From HH Slingerland's Radio King
Floor tom groovin' on "Sing Sing Sing"
Go, Gene, Go! Swing, Brother, Swing!

Suddenly, the drummer counts!
"Look at him play!"
Chick broke the ground
Gene paved the way!

Krupa's swingin' groove helped our boys win the War
My grandparents saw him play on the Jersey Shore
Hollywood made movies cuz the man had the look
Sold his drumming method in his best-selling book

Authority disliked him, cuz he did his own thing
Up in San Fransisco, trumped-up charges did bring
Said he had some reefer, and the charge he denied
Ninety days in lockup really dented his pride

Onward he sailed playing with all the greats
Like Buddy Rich and Bellson, and musicians first-rate
Blew us all away on the Dean Martin show
Deep inside he knew, that it was soon time to go!

Played his final shows in the early seventies
Cardiac arrest took him in 1973
At Holy Cross in Camulet, they laid him to rest
Every other drummer knows that he was the best.

Rest in peace, hep cat Gene
He's "real gone", know what I mean?
Someday when I meet you in the Promised Land
Maybe me and you and Jimi Hendrix can jam!

"He was a wonderful, kind man and a great player. He brought drums to the foreground. He is still a household name." - Louie Bellson, Drummer

"He was the beginning and the end of all jazz drummers." - Buddy Rich, Drummer

"Gene Krupa, Jo Jones, Buddy Rich . . . to me they were the best...." - Keith Moon, Drummer

If you've never seen this man do his thing, please watch this ninety-three second clip from the early Forties. You will see that this man truly LOVED what he did. Clips like this one preserve not just his playing, but also his SPIRIT, for future generations. Thanks for your time, dear readers!