Drummers can't be famous

I am a drummer. I dabble in a number of other instruments, but drum set and djembe are my weapons of choice. Now last night, I was watching a documentary on Herbie Hancock. In this movie, he is putting together an album in which he spends each song collaborating with a different famous artist, sortof a la Carlos Santana. The idea was for each artist to bring their own unique sound and feel to the project.

Now he did a good job finding a fairly eclectic collection of collaborators, including Christina Aguilera, John Mayer, Damien Rice, and more, but one thing he didn't have (so far at least, I didn't finish the movie) was any drummers. That's not to say I blame him at all; its just curious to me. 

I think the reason that he didn't pick any famous drummers is that there aren't really any famous drummers. Now those of you who are into music might say "what about Ringo Starr, John Bonham, Travis Barker, or Dave Grohl?" Well, true, but all of them became famous after their respective bands became famous. I think its incredibly hard for a drummer to be famous independently of a band. Look what happened to Ringo's solo projects if you doubt me. For that matter, fame of a drummer seems to be somewhat independent of technical proficiency, as Meg White and Ringo Starr are just as famous as John Bonham, while neither has anywhere close to John's technical chops. 

Maybe it's because it's very difficult to develop a discernible style as a drummer. Even if Christina Aguilera and John Mayer sound very different, their drummers mostly sound the same. Even in some of the most highly technical genres of drumming like jazz or metal, its very difficult for the untrained ear to discern one drummer from the next. I know from experience that its not impossible to learn a particular drummer's style, as, for example, after one of my bands' performances a fan told me that despite not recognizing me due to a drastic hair cut, he still knew it was me because of my style. I hope it was a compliment. 

Either way, the only drummers I know who were truly famous on their own were the great band leaders of the jazz era. They were not only drummers, but also managers, composers, and frontmen for their bands. They include Art Blakey, Max Roach, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich, and though I'm sure Herbie would have loved to have included one of these guys, they're all dead so...