Drummer
Mickey Waller was a ubiquitous presence on the London rock & roll scene of the 1960s, keeping time behind a series of icons including
Rod Stewart,
Jeff Beck, and
Ron Wood. Born in London on September 6, 1941,
Waller cited a viewing of the 1955 film The Benny Goodman Story as the turning point of his formative years:
Gene Krupa's powerhouse big-band drumming captivated him, and he later studied under future Marshall Amplification founder Jim Marshall, with the left-hander later attributing his unusual playing style to learning to play on a kit designed for right-handed drummers.
Waller made his professional debut in 1960 with
the Flee-Rekkers, who scored a minor hit that same year with the
Joe Meek-produced "Green Jeans." After a series of short-lived stints with other London groups, he joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars alongside vocalist
Long John Baldry, later turning up with Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames and in 1964 filling in for an absent
Charlie Watts when
the Rolling Stones played Chatham Town Hall.
Two British tours in support of American R&B icon
Little Richard preceded
Waller's 1965 addition to
the Steampacket, a fledgling blue-eyed soul group featuring vocalists
Rod Stewart and
Julie Driscoll -- when
Stewart exited to join the Jeff Beck Group, he brought
Waller with him, yielding a now-classic blues-rock LP, 1968's
Truth. Around the same time
Waller backed
Jimi Hendrix during a handful of British dates, and was rumored to be
Brian Jones' choice for drummer in a proposed project that never materialized due to the ex-
Rolling Stone's July 3, 1969, death. When
Stewart began work on his 1969 solo debut,
An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down,
Waller was again installed behind the drum kit, and he later resurfaced on
Stewart classics including
Every Picture Tells a Story,
Gasoline Alley, and
Never a Dull Moment. During the 1970s
Waller remained a sought-after studio contributor, additionally joining saxophonist
Dick Heckstall-Smith and bassist
Bob Brunning in
the Deluxe Blues Band and playing in various incarnations of the group.
Waller died of liver failure on April 29, 2008. ~ Jason Ankeny