Ferocious Drummers Documentary Gains Sponsorship Support
Ferocious Drummers Documentary Gains Sponsorship Support
March 3, 2015
The largest cymbal manufacturer in the world, Zildjian, is now a main sponsor of Ferocious Drummers, a feature film documentary which takes an unprecedented look at the most legendary, influential and troublesome drummers — past, present and future — in jazz, rock, heavy metal and alternative music.
“The Zildjian Company is excited to see this project completed, and happy for our artists who are participating in a movie like this. This documentary about the lives and stories of working drummers is the first of its kind. We hope viewers will be excited and inspired to either get back behind a kit again, or pick up a pair of sticks for the first time,” said Sarah Hagan, Zildjian’s director of artist relations — worldwide.
Ferocious Drummers director Billy McCarthy — a drummer and former Atlantic Recording artist with D’Molls — already has recorded personal interviews with more than thirty drummers including Max Weinberg (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band), Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Rod Stewart), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), ?uestlove (The Roots, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band), Matt Cameron (Pearl Jam, Soundgarden), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), as well as the legendary Hal Blaine and many more.
Still in production, McCarthy’s mission for Ferocious Drummers is to tell the long overdue story of the drummer, from the talent behind the drum kit to the colorful character he says belongs only to the drummer.
“I want to finally give drummers the chance to tell their stories and for all the dedicated and aspiring musicians, more so, music lovers out there to see a film that represents just how important the beat has been to shaping our world,” says McCarthy. “The crew and I are beyond thrilled and grateful to have Zildjian on board with this project.”
Founded by Avedis Zildjian in Istanbul in 1623 during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the company is now recognized as the oldest continuously run family business in the United States. Zildjian’s long list of legendary endorsers includes spans from Max Roach to Buddy Rich to Ringo Starr and Travis Barker.
For more information on the documentary and to view the trailer visit ferociousdrummers.com and facebook.com/FerociousDrummers.
Billy McCarthy was born in West Pullman, Illinois, and raised in the Chicago suburb of Calumet Park. A self-taught drummer and classical pianist, he is most notable as a rock drumming recording artist, a documentary director and a best-selling novelist.
Well known by his D’Molls stage name, Billy Dior, McCarthy has recorded with iconic music producers including Eddie Kramer (Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Frampton) and Kevin Beamish (Kenny Chesney, REO Speedwagon). He was managed by the late Bill Aucoin (KISS, Billy Idol) and Gerry Tolman (Crosby, Stills and Nash). He toured exclusively under Creative Artists Agency; his agent Bobby Brookes tragically died in a helicopter crash with Stevie Ray Vaughan.
In the 1990s McCarthy hosted his own L.A. radio show and had a brief but notable stand-up comedy career in Austin, Texas, and Hollywood, California. He abruptly quit comedy, stating in a 1998 interview, “Comedians were too miserable and very depressed human beings. I wanted no part of it.”
From 1988 until 2002 he was the exclusive music producer for comedian Rodney Dangerfield’s son, Brian Jessy, an unknown folk artist whom McCarthy calls “a genius songwriter and singer on the level of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Don Henley.” Jessy is currently in reclusion.
In 2004 McCarthy published “The Devil of Shakespeare,” the first novel in literary history to include a CD and song, which featured platinum recording artists James “J.Y.” Young (Styx), Jani Lane (Warrant), Ron Flynt (20/20) and Chip Z’Nuff (Enuff Z’Nuff). McCarthy has appeared extensively in local and national media, including VH1, MTV, Fox News, ABC, WLUP (The Loop), PBS, WCKG, WJOB, Chicago Tribune, Publisher’s Weekly, Chicago Reader, Red Eye, Rolling Stone magazine and more. He lives in Chicago.
Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com