Micky Waller
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Micky (Mickey) Waller, who was born on September 6, 1941, in London is a veteran drummer who has played with many of the biggest names on the UK rock and blues scene since he first went professional in 1960. In addition to being a member, albeit sometimes briefly,of some of the seminal bands of the Sixties, Micky has played as a session musician with a host of US and UK artists.
[edit] Biography
Micky's first professional band, The Free-trekkers, had a minor hit in 1960 with their recording of 'Greenjeans', but Mickey soon left to join a well-known band of the day, Joe Brown (singer) and the Bruvvers. In July 1963, he joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars, a band with a volatile line-up, replacing the band’s original drummer Carlo Little.
- Cyril Davies (vocals, harmonica)
- Long John Baldry (vocals)
- Geoff Bradford (guitar)
- Cliff Barton (bass)
- Keith Scott (piano)
- Micky Waller (drums)
Cyril Davies died on January 7, 1964 and Micky Waller left as the band was changed by Long John Baldry to become the Hoochie Coochie Men. Micky went on to play with Marty Wilde as one of the Wildecats. While with Marty, he played two tours with Little Richard around the UK.
Like many musicians of the day, Mickey moved frequently from band to band, or as was often the case the band he was in metamorphosed into another. After a short stint with Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, a band he was to rejoin several times, he joined Brian Auger to become part of the Trinity, and was soon followed by Long John Baldry. In April 1965, the group was expanded by Rod Stewart and Julie Driscoll and evolved into a new band, The Steampacket:
- Long John Baldry (vocals)
- Rod Stewart (vocals)
- Julie Driscoll (vocals)
- Vic Briggs (guitar)
- Brian Auger (keyboards)
- Rick Brown (bass)
- Micky Waller (drums)
In April 1966, Rod Stewart left, and the other members remained as the nucleus of a new band, Brian Auger - Julie Driscoll & The Trinity:
- Julie Driscoll (vocals)
- Vic Briggs (guitar)
- Rick Brown (bass)
- Brian Auger (keyboards)
- Micky Waller (drums)
Micky joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers for a few gigs in April 1967. Micky only took the place while Mayall looked for a permanent drummer, and was soon replaced by Mick Fleetwood - who had also played with Steampacket.
- John Mayall (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
- Peter Green (guitar, vocals)
- John McVie (bass)
- Micky Waller (drums)
In August 1967, Waller joined the Jeff Beck Group, with former bandmate Rod Stewart:
- Rod Stewart (vocals)
- Jeff Beck (guitar)
- Ron Wood (bass)
- Micky Waller (drums)
The group produced two albums, Truth in 1968 and Beck-Ola the following year. Probably Micky's best known contributions were made in the next few years as he continued to work with Rod Stewart on Rod’s solo albums, playing on the classic ‘Every Picture Tells a Story’ album featuring ‘Maggie May’, and on 'Never a Dull Moment'.
Micky continued to work regularly in both rock and blues bands, and joined the original line-up of the Deluxe Blues Band, with a former member of early Fleetwood Mac, Bob Brunning. Here was another musician who had experienced being a two-month fill-in whilst a band waited for the permanent member they sought – in this case John McVie - to join Fleetwood Mac.
- Danny Adler (vocal, guitar)
- Bob Brunning (bass)
- Bob Hall (piano)
- Dick Heckstall-Smith (sax)
- Micky Waller (drums)
Bob Brunning subsequently hung onto the Deluxe Blues band name, and Micky went to play in Italy for a period. Micky returned to London, and briefly joined a revived Deluxe Blues Band that reunited him with Dick Heckstall-Smith and Bob Brunning, along with new members Dave Beaumont, Alan Vincent and Phil Taylor. He has since continued to play intermittently with a number of blues bands in the London area, including the eponymous Micky Waller Band.
Micky is a powerful drummer, but a relatively reserved character, who has continued to make significant contributions to the UK rock and blues scene.
