HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (Feb. 20, 2007) — Yamaha Drummer
John "JR" Robinson will be sitting in the house band's drum chair when the golden statuettes are handed out at the upcoming 79th Academy Awards®. Hollywood's biggest night honoring the outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®. Robinson will be playing throughout the broadcast, which will be televised live on ABC at 5 p.m. PST (8 p.m. EST).
"So many music industry veterans and icons trust JR to add his special musicianship to their productions. We are honored that Yamaha Drums is his instrument of choice," comments Joe Testa, international artist relations manager for
Yamaha Drums.
Robinson currently has one signature series snare drum handcrafted by Yamaha: the BSD-1465NJR, a 14" x 6 1/2" Birch Shell, with a stunning Amber Sunburst Birdseye Maple outer ply. It also features a 60 degree top bearing edge that is embedded with 20 – 2" copper nails and a bottom bearing edge cut at 35 degrees. This combined with a 2.7 mm snare bed makes this instrument's versatility limitless.
As the most recorded drummer in history, some of the hits and albums Robinson has been a part of include: "We Are The World;" "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie; "I'm So Excited" and "Slow Hand" by the Pointer Sisters; "I'm Just A Gigolo" and "California Girls" by David Lee Roth; "Higher Love" and "Back In The Highlife" by Steve Winwood; "Express Yourself" by Madonna; "Off The Wall" and "Bad" and the new upcoming CD for Michael Jackson; the
Natalie Cole CD
Stardust; "Change The World" by Eric Clapton; Quincy Jones'
The Dude,
Q's Jook Joint and
From Q With Love; and Ray Charles'
Genius Loves Company, to name a few. In 1983, Robinson won a Grammy with Rufus and Chaka Khan for
Ain't Nobody.
Robinson has been the drummer for Quincy Jones since 1979 and the drummer for Barbra Streisand since 1993. He just finished Streisand's
Timeless tour of Australia and the United States. His solo CD,
Funkshui is in stores now.
Robinson's Yamaha drum kit includes the following:
Acoustic Drums
BSD-1465NJR 14" x 6.5" Birch Snare Drum with copper nails in the shell
John Robinson Sig. Series
BBD-1024 24" x 16" Bass Drum
BTT-1012J 12" x 8" Tom
BTT-1014J 14" x 10" Tom
BFT-1016 16" x 16" Floor Tom
BFT-1018 18" x 16" Floor Tom
Hardware
CH-745 Cymbal Holder
CS-840 Cymbal Stand (4x)
CS-945 Cymbal Stand
DS-1000 Drum Stool
FP-9410 Single Foot Pedal
DFP-9410 Double Foot Pedal
HS-950 Hi-hat Stand
HS-1100 One Legged Hi-hat Stand
SS-940 Snare Drum Stand (2x)
TH-945 Double Tom Holder
