Rock Musician. Born Harold Simon Belsky, he was an American drummer and session musician who will best be remembered for his work with a group of musicians who recorded on many hits from artists such as Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Johnny Rivers, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, The Carpenters, John Denver, Barbra Streisand, Captain & Tennille and many more. In his lifetime, he played on 40 Number One hits and some 150 singles that made it into the Top 10. From 1966 to 1971, he played on six consecutive Record of the Year Grammy winners. In the Sixties, he became a crucial member of the Wrecking Crew, which served as producer Phil Spector's studio band and helped shape his signature "wall of sound." Blaine played on dozens of chart-topping singles in his career, including the Byrds' version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," the 5th Dimension's "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In," Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were." He was the drummer for the "stand up" portion of Elvis Presley's fabled '68 Comeback Special, he was one of the strangers on Frank Sinatra's recording of "Strangers in the Night." He can also be heard playing the drums on the theme to TV's 'Batman' and on the original cast recording of 'The Rocky Horror Show'. The Wrecking Crew's contributions to music history went largely overlooked in their time, only achieving more recognition years later thanks to biographies and documentaries. In 2000, Blaine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via the Sidemen category.
Rock Musician. Born Harold Simon Belsky, he was an American drummer and session musician who will best be remembered for his work with a group of musicians who recorded on many hits from artists such as Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Byrds, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Johnny Rivers, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, The Carpenters, John Denver, Barbra Streisand, Captain & Tennille and many more. In his lifetime, he played on 40 Number One hits and some 150 singles that made it into the Top 10. From 1966 to 1971, he played on six consecutive Record of the Year Grammy winners. In the Sixties, he became a crucial member of the Wrecking Crew, which served as producer Phil Spector's studio band and helped shape his signature "wall of sound." Blaine played on dozens of chart-topping singles in his career, including the Byrds' version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man," the 5th Dimension's "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In," Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were." He was the drummer for the "stand up" portion of Elvis Presley's fabled '68 Comeback Special, he was one of the strangers on Frank Sinatra's recording of "Strangers in the Night." He can also be heard playing the drums on the theme to TV's 'Batman' and on the original cast recording of 'The Rocky Horror Show'. The Wrecking Crew's contributions to music history went largely overlooked in their time, only achieving more recognition years later thanks to biographies and documentaries. In 2000, Blaine was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame via the Sidemen category.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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