Ginger Baker, one of the most brilliant drummers in music history, died today at the age of 80.
His family had already announced that Baker was very ill. Through his Facebook page , confirmation of his death came, stating that he "died peacefully" this Sunday, the 6th.
Ginger Baker was born in 1939 in Lewisham, South London, and began playing drums as a teenager.
In a recent interview, he recalls, “I had never sat at a drum kit before, but I sat down – and I managed to play! One of the musicians turned around and said, ‘Holy shit, we got a drummer,’ and I thought, ‘Holy shit, I am a drummer!’”
His early work was in the jazz and blues style, and he even participated in one of the earliest incarnations of what would become the Rolling Stones .
Around this time, Baker met bassist Jack Bruce, with whom he formed the band Cream , along with the young Yardbirds guitarist, Eric Clapton .
Through Cream, Ginger Baker helped define the creation of psychedelic rock. Baker brought several innovative elements such as the use of double bass drums and drum solos that helped point the way to heavy metal.
Cream broke up in 1968 and sold over 15 million albums. They left behind hits like "Sunshine of Your Love," "Strange Brew," and "White Room.".
The documentary Beware of Mr. Baker , recounting his life, was released in 2012. Ginger Baker leaves behind three children: Kofi, Leda, and Ginette.
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