Iowa's Most Recorded Drummer: Iowa Time Machine December 29, 1954

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On December 29, 1954, “the most recorded drummer in history,” John “JR” Robinson, was born in Creston. JR Robinson's drumsticks have touched more than 500 million records sold worldwide, more than thirty number-one hits, and over 100 Grammy-winning recordings.

Born to optometrist Dr. Jack Robinson and his wife Helen Sloan, JR started playing piano at the age of five. When JR received a secondhand 1940s Ludwig drum kit at age eight, missing its toms and featuring only a snare, bass drum, hi-hat, and a single Zildjian cymbal, he discovered his calling. By age ten, he had formed his first professional band with guitarist Kevin Clemens. Throughout his teenage years, Robinson wavered between basketball and music, ultimately choosing the path that would make him invisible to the public but indispensable to the stars.

Robinson came of age during the 1960s folk and rock explosion, attended Berklee College of Music in Boston during the early 1970s jazz-fusion movement, and arrived in Los Angeles in 1978. His break came when Rufus and Chaka Khan walked into a club where Robinson was playing with his own band. By the third set, Rufus members were sitting in with him. Two weeks later, Robinson had moved to Los Angeles to join the tour. Producer Quincy Jones noticed Robinson's work on the 1979 Rufus album "Masterjam" and brought him into the studio in December 1978 to record Michael Jackson's "Off the Wall."

The modern music industry barely resembles the world JR Robinson entered in 1978. Digital recording, sampling, and drum machines have eliminated much of the session work that sustained studio musicians for decades. Yet Robinson continues working, adapting to new technologies while maintaining the human feel that algorithms cannot replicate. Lady Gaga's 2020 hit "Stupid Love" features Robinson's drumming, proving that at age 66, he remains relevant across generations of pop music. His work appears on Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories," The Weeknd's recordings, and countless film scores from "My Cousin Vinny" to the "Hangover" series. Rolling Stone ranked him number 81 on their list of the 100 greatest drummers of all time in 2016. #Iowa #History #OTD #Music #Drumming