Photo source: Ginger Baker Facebook official
Back in February, former Cream/Blind Faith drummer Ginger Baker announced on Facebook he would no longer play drums under doctors orders and cancelled all his upcoming tour dates.
“just seen doctor… big shock…. no more gigs for this old drummer…. everything is off…. of all things i never thought it would be my heart…..”
The famed drummer has lived as hard as he played, most notably a long history of heroin addiction that he finally overcame in 1981 after what he says was some 19 tries. He suffers from degenerative osteoarthritis and COPD, but despite pain and challenges the feisty musician continued to gig. But it looked as if his heart problems had ended his career… until he posted yesterday (March 24th):
Baker, age 76, played in the seminal 1960s British R&B bands Blues Incorporated and the Graham Bond Organization before joining forces in 1966 with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce in Cream – arguably the first classic rock supergroup. He and Clapton went on to form the short-lived Blind Faith. He then formed Ginger Baker’s Air Force, and spent much of the 1970s living and recording in Africa, often with Fela Kuti. His collaborations include work with Gary Moore, Masters of Reality and Public Image Ltd, Atomic Rooster, Bill Laswell, jazz bassist Charlie Haden and jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. He has been an avid polo player and had numerous financial and tax problems over the years. Baker currently lives in South Africa. He is the subject of a 2012 documentary film, Beware of Mr. Baker.
He has influenced such other rock drummers as John Bonham, Peter Criss, Neil Peart, Stewart Copeland, Terry Bozzio, Alex Van Halen and Nick Mason, to name but a few.
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