Gregg Bissonette
Bissonette in 2018
Bissonette in 2018
Background information
Born (1959-06-09) 9 June 1959
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Drums
  • vocals
Member of
Formerly of
Websitegreggbissonette.co

Gregg Bissonette (born June 9, 1959) is an American jazz and rock drummer and vocalist. He is the brother of bassist Matt Bissonette, with whom he frequently collaborates. He has played on albums by dozens of recording artists, including David Lee Roth's first three solo albums.

Career

One of Bissonette's first recordings was on jazz trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson's Live from San Francisco in 1983. Brother Matt was also in the band and on the recording. He later appeared on Brandon Fields' The Other Side of the Story in 1985. It featured David Garfield on keyboards. A few years later Bissonette would start playing shows with Fields, Garfield and Steve Lukather on guitar and with John Peña on bass as Los Lobotomys. These shows took place at the Baked Potato, a jazz club and restaurant in Los Angeles, California, playing rock, Latin, and jazz.

Bissonnette got his big break joining former Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth. The band included guitarist Steve Vai and future Mr. Big bassist Billy Sheehan. During 1985-1992 Gregg appeared on all three US Billboard 200 hit albums Eat 'Em and Smile (no.4) Skyscraper (no.6) and A Little Ain't Enough (no.18)[1] and the subsequent world tours.[2]

In 1990 and 1993, Bissonette released drum videos Private Lesson[3] and Playing, Reading & Soloing with a Band,[4][5] respectively. Private Lesson covers a variety of topics including double bass drumming, rudiments (with a backsticking technique from the snare drum solo Tornado[6] by Mitch Markovich), playing with a metronome and brushes.

From 1994 to 2004, he played on the musical interludes for every episode for the TV show Friends.[7]

In late 1995, Toto was beginning their Tambu tour when Simon Phillips developed back problems. Phillips asked Bissonette to fill in for him during the tour's first leg.

He played drums on one track on Santana's album Supernatural (1999).[8] In 2007, he recorded on the album La La Land by Daniel Glen Timms.[9]

In 2001 he was set to play on the Electric Light Orchestra's Zoom Tour Live with his brother Matt on Bass. The tour was cancelled after one televised performance at the CBS Television City on PBS.

Bissonette started playing double drums with Ringo Starr in 2003 in his band Ringo and The Roundheads. This band also included his brother Matt Bissonette on bass. Gregg has been a member of Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band since. (2008–present)

In 2013 Bissonette released his 3rd solo album where he plays drums and sings called Warning Will Robinson. This album also features his brother Matt on bass and backing vocals.

Bissonette played on Steve Lukather's 2021 album, I Found the Sun Again. With 8 songs on the album, he played 7 songs while Ringo Starr played 1.

2021 was the release of The Reddcoats debut album. The album features Gregg and Matt Bissonette on drums and bass with Andy Timmons on guitar, Wally Minko on keyboards and Mike Medina on percussion.

Also in 2021 was the release of the debut album of The Red Locusts, again with Gregg on drums and his brother Matt on bass with Rick Springfield on guitar and vocals.

Bissonette can be heard on a number of rock instrumental and progressive rock albums, including The Extremist by Joe Satriani, Temporal by Shadrane, Deep Forest by Deep Forest, Bass Invader by Martin Motnik, Inner Galactic Fusion Experience by Richie Kotzen, Shadow King by Steve Fister, Revolution Road by Rocket Scientists, In the Eye of Time by Vox Tempus, Bug Alley[10] and the soundtrack to the movie The Endless Summer II by Gary Hoey.[11]

In 2012, Bissonette played drums on several tracks featured on Docker's Guild's album The Mystic Technocracy: Season 1: The Age of Ignorance, the progressive rock space opera masterminded by the French-American musician, teacher, and ethno-musicologist Douglas R. Docker.[12]

In 2023, Bissonette won Best All-Around Drummer in that year's Modern Drummer readers' poll.[13]

Discography

Artist Album Year
Maynard Ferguson Live from San Francisco 1983
Yarborough and Peoples Heart Beats 1983
Brandon Fields The Other Side of the Story 1985
David Lee Roth Eat 'Em and Smile 1986
Keiko Matsui A Drop of Water 1987
David Lee Roth Skyscraper 1988
Pat Kelly Views of the Future 1989
Frank Gambale Thunder from Down Under 1990
David Lee Roth A Little Ain't Enough 1991
Joe Satriani The Extremist 1992
Steve Bailey Dichotomy 1992
Tab Benoit Nice and Warm 1999
L.A. Blues Authority L.A. Blues Authority 1992
Stan Bush Every Beat of My Heart 1992
Lanny Cordolla Of Riffs and Symphonies 1992
Ann Lewis Rockadelic 1993
Robin Zander Robin Zander 1993
Joe Satriani Time Machine 1993
Circus of Power Magic & Madness 1993
Vasco Rossi Gil Spari Sopra 1993
Brandon Fields Brandon Fields 1994
Gary Hoey The Endless Summer II soundtrack 1994
Milos Dodo Dolezal/Guy Mann-Dude Milos Dodo Dolezal/Guy Mann-Dude 1994
Joe Satriani Joe Satriani 1995
Richie Kotzen Inner Galactic Fusion Experience 1995
Wayne Watson Field of Souls 1995
Bryan Duncan Christmas Is Jesus 1995
Jason Becker Perspective 1995
Mustard Seeds Mustard seeds 1996
Enrique Iglesias Enrique Iglesias 1996
Larry Carlton The Gift 1996
Steve Vai Fire Garden 1996
Ron Kenoly Welcome Home 1996
Gary Hoey Bug Alley 1996
Steve Fister Shadow King 1997
Steve Lukather Luke 1997
Pat Boone In a Metal Mood:
No More Mr. Nice Guy		 1997
Kalapana Captain Santa Island Music 1997
Andy Summers Last Dance of Mr. X 1997
Michael Thompson The World According to M.T. 1998
Gregg Bissonette Gregg Bissonette 1998
Paul Anka A Body of Work 1998
Bette Midler Bathhouse Betty 1998
Luis Villegas Cafe Ole 1998
Matt Bissonette Spot 1998
Kombo Big Blast 1999
Steve Vai The Ultra Zone 1999
Santana Super Natural 1999
Carl Verheyen Slingshot 1999
Matt Bissonette Spot 2 2000
Duran Duran Pop Trash 2000
Don Henley Inside Job 2000
David Benoit Great Composers of Jazz 2000
Jann Arden Blood Red Cherry 2000
Gregg Bissonette Submarine 2000
Crush Velvet Cowboys Crush Velvet Cowboys 2000
Gordon Goodwin Swingin for the Fences 2001
Larry Carlton
& Steve Lukather		 No Substitutions: Live in Osaka 2001
Steve Mindick So It Begins 2001
Lana Lane Covers Collection 2002
Jughead Jughead 2002
Rico Garcia The Beginning 2002
Lana Lane Winter Sessions 2003
Eric Norlander Music Machine 2003
Engelbert Humperdinck Definition of Love 2003
Under-Radio Bad Heir Ways 2003
Steve Lukather Santamental 2003
Dan Ramsey Gentle Giants 2003
Robert Downey Jr. The Futurist 2004
Chester E. Smith Monster Groove Party 2004
Raizing Lazarus Raising Lazarus 2004
Rocket Richotte Salute 2004
Vox Tempus In the Eye of Time 2004
Deep Forest Deep Forest 2004
Matt Bissonette Oh No! Bass Solo! 2004
Owen Kortz Owen Kortz 2004
Ryan Cabrera Take it all 2004
Richard Marx My Own Best Enemy 2004
Matt Swindells Matt Swindells 2004
Matt Swindells Matt Swindells Here 2005
Ozzy Osbourne Under Cover 2005
Ten by Tuesday Tearing Down the Walls 2005
Dan Ramsey Everybody's Songs But My Own 2005
Martin Motnik Bass Invader 2005
Brian Setzer Dig That Crazy Christmas 2005
Steve Vai Real Illusions: Reflections 2005
Ray Charles Genius and Friends 2005
Brian Ghiglia Mystery 2006
Dave C. Norman Stratosfear 2006
Santo Garofalo Further Up and Further In 2006
Phil Soussan Vibrate 2006
Eric Norlander Hommage Symphoniqe 2006
Michele Pillar I Hear Angels Calling 2006
Globus Epicon 2006
Dave Rogers Blow Your Mind 2006
Lou Rawls Lou Rawls Christmas 2006
Various Artists 80's Metal Tribute to Van Halen 2006
Rocket Scientists Revolution Road 2006
Harry Shearer Songs Pointed and Pointless 2007
Katharine McPhee Katharine McPhee 2007
Andy Summers Synaesthesia 2007
Sasha & Shawna Siren 2007
Mick Abrahams Rattlesnake Shake Guitar:
Music of Peter Green		 2007
Code The Enemy Within 2007
Cal Leonard
and His Orchestra		 Mr. Irrelevant 2007
Daniel Glen Timms La La Land[9] 2007
Keith Emerson Band:
featuring Marc Bonilla		 Keith Emerson Band 2008
Overland Breakaway 2008
Chris Boardman Midtown Moves 2008
Mustard Seeds Mustard Seeds 3 2008
Marco Cardona Instrumentality 2008
Shadrane Temporal 2008
Dick Wagner Full Meltdown 2009
Colin Hay American Sunshine 2009
Spinal Tap Back from the Dead 2009
Norm Stockton Tea in the Typhoon 2009
Jason Sadites Weve 2009
Randy Jacobs The Return of Randy Dynamite 2010
Grand Illusion Brand New world 2010
Ralf Jung The Art of Pop 2010
The Doobie Brothers World Gone Crazy 2010
Mark Nilan Jr. Hands On 2010
Ringo Starr Live at the Greek Theatre 2008 2010
Jet Velvet Jet Velvet 2010
Dave C. Norman Higher Ground 2011
Cindy Horstman
and Friends		 Fretless 2011
Abby Cubey & Margarita Devil Dressed in Lace 2011
Barry Manilow 15 Minutes 2011
Globus Break From This World 2011
Mari Hamada Legenda 2012
Docker's Guild The Mystic Techocracy:
Season 1: The Age of Ignorance		 2012
Gianni De Chellis Bondage 2013
Gregg Bissonette Warning Will Robinson 2013
Ringo Starr Postcards From Paradise 2015
Mari Hamada Mission 2016
Ringo Starr Give More Love 2017
Mari Hamada Gracia 2018
Norm Stockton Grooves & Sushi 2019
Charly Zurcher Eleven 2020
Steve Lukather I Found The Sun Again 2021
The Red Locusts The Red Locusts 2021
Globus Cinematica 2022
Mari Hamada Soar 2023

[14][15]

Television soundtracks

Movie soundtracks

Gregg Bissonette's movie soundtrack credits include the following:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "David Lee Roth". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  2. ↑ "Bio ‹ Gregg Bissonette". Greggbissonette.com. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  3. ↑ Gregg Bissonette (1990). Private Lesson (VHS). New York: DCI Music Video. OCLC 22866873. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
  4. ↑ Olson, Rex; Bissonette, Gregg (1993). Playing, Reading & Soloing with a Band (VHS video). Miami, Florida: CPPMedia : DCI Music Video. OCLC 32400704.
  5. ↑ Bissonette, Gregg (1993). Bill Reeve (ed.). Playing, Reading & Soloing with a Band (Musical score). Chris Brady. Miami, Florida: Manhattan Music. OCLC 68957968.
  6. ↑ Markovich, Mitch (1966). Tornado. Rudimental Contest Series (musical score ed.). Creative Music. OCLC 7895690. 10-305.
  7. ↑ "Gregg Bissonette on Dream Gigs with Ringo Starr and David Lee Roth, Avoiding the Spinal Tap Curse". Rolling Stone. 28 July 2020.
  8. ↑ "Supernatural - Santana". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Daniel Glen Timms: Discography". Archived from the original on 2011-07-09. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  10. ↑ "Gary Hoey: Discography". GaryHoey.com. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  11. 1 2 "The Endless Summer II: Credits". GaryHoey.com. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  12. ↑ "LION MUSIC - the progressive, neoclassical & hard rock label". lionmusic.com. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  13. ↑ "2023 Readers Poll: Gregg Bissonette Wins "All-Around"". Modern Drummer. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  14. ↑ "Gregg Bissonette: credits". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  15. ↑ "Gregg Bissonette: Discography". greggbissonette.com. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
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