Travis Barker’s Pick For The Greatest Drummer Of All Time

Blink-182’s Travis Barker was one of the famous musicians who found his life’s greatest passion and purpose at a very early age; creating and playing. He got his first drum kit when he was four years old as a gift from his mother, and it was a beginning of a long journey full of crazy adventures and success. Then, Barker began learning to play drums, and his instructor described him as unique and different.

After being a part of several local bands, the mainstream popularity came when he joined the iconic rock band Blink-182 to replace Scott Raynor in 1998. Barker’s exceptional talent and striving to do his best all the time encouraged his bandmates Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus to create more. In addition, like almost every other musician in the world, Travis Barker named his most significant influences and the best for him.

The Drummer Whom Travis Barker Defined As The Best

Many considered American jazz drummer and songwriter Buddy Rich a natural talent as the son of vaudevillian parents, Bess Skolnik and Robert Rich. He was raised on the stage and often sneaked into the orchestra’s place to play drums, although he was only two years old. Rich was discovered shortly after and performed on Broadway by playing John Philip Sousa’s patriotic American march named ‘The Stars and Stripes Forever.’

Then, Rich focused on his jazz career and worked with Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, and Harry James, and his solo acts also received positive reviews. The legendary drummer gained wealth and fame with his Buddy Rich Big Band, also known as Buddy Rich Band and The Big Band Machine. Rich became one of the most influential musicians in the world and got the critical claim from critics and the young generations of drummers.

As one of them, in one of his interviews with Vevo back in 2016, the host wanted to know who was the greatest drummer of all time for Travis Barker. The musician’s answer was Buddy Rich, without any doubt, and it wasn’t a surprising one for the fans that had a chance to discover the drummer. Probably Barker wanted to pay tribute to Rich’s extraordinary talent as a musical genius while naming him the best drum player in the world.

Here’s what the host said:

“The greatest drummer of all time?”

In Barker’s words, he stated:

“Buddy Rich.”

Moreover, the Blink-182 drummer previously revealed that his favorite musicians, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham, Alex Van Halen, Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, and Tool’s Danny Carey, contributed to him a lot, especially at the beginning of his professional career as an artist. Thus, it can be said these names, along with Buddy Rich, helped Travis Barker shape his style, which brought him great success and popularity over the years.