Charlie Adams (drummer)
{{Short description|American drummer (born 1954)}}
{{Other uses|Charles Adams (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Charlie Adams
| image = Charlie Adams (drummer).JPG
| image_size = 250
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|5|8}}
| birth_place = Joliet, Illinois, United States
| instrument = Drums
Percussion
Drum engineer
| genre =
| occupation =
| years_active = 1975–present
| label =
| past_member_of = Chameleon
}}
Charlie Adams (born May 8, 1954) is an American drummer, best known for playing in Yanni's touring band, after having played with Yanni in the early 1980s rock band Chameleon. Adams was born in Joliet, Illinois.{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofjoliet.com/halloffame/Artists/charlieadams.htm|title=Bio at the City of Joliet website|publisher=cityofjoliet.com|access-date=2007-08-17|archive-date=2018-08-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814103156/http://www.cityofjoliet.com/halloffame/artists/charlieadams.htm|url-status=dead}}
Music career
=Early life=
Adams was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. Prior to joining Chameleon, he taught drums to local students, including future Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.{{Cite web|title=Jimmy Chamberlin Profile - Drummer World|url=https://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Jimmy_Chamberlin.html|access-date=2024-07-18|website=drummerworld.com|language=en-US}}
=Chameleon=
Band members of regional rock band Chameleon included Adams on drums, vocals, and percussion; Yanni on keyboards and synthesizers; Dugan McNeill on lead vocals and bass guitars; Johnny Donaldson on all guitars; and Mark Anthony on lead vocals and keyboards.{{cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/chameleeon.geo/chameleon.htm |title=Chameleon|publisher =geocities.com|access-date=2007-08-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024220409/http://geocities.com/chameleeon.geo/chameleon.htm|archive-date=2009-10-24}} Their albums included Chameleon, Techno-color, Hologram Sky, and Balance. The group was noted for Adams' revolving gyroscope drum kit, who played his rapidly spinning drums before Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee's similar arrangement.
=Yanni=
In 1987, Yanni formed his first touring band to promote his album Out of Silence, as well as selections from Keys to Imagination. This early band included Yanni, John Tesh and Joyce Imbesi on keyboards, and Adams on drums.{{cite book|last = Yanni|author2 = Rensin, David|title = Yanni in Words|publisher = Miramax Books|year = 2002|isbn = 1-4013-5194-8|page = [https://archive.org/details/yanniinwords00yann/page/123 123]|url-access = registration|url = https://archive.org/details/yanniinwords00yann/page/123}} He is also featured in both Live at the Acropolis released in 1994 and Live at Royal Albert Hall released in 1995.{{Cite web|title=Live at the Acropolis - Yanni|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-acropolis-mw0000108919|access-date=2022-05-18|website=allmusic.com|language=en-US}}
Adams did not join the Tribute concert at the Taj Mahal and Forbidden City as he had to help raise his son with autism issues and thus was replaced by rock/jazz drummer Joel Taylor for the entire tour. After Yanni's hiatus following Tribute, Adams returned in 2001.
Adams reunited again with Yanni for the 2003/2004 Ethnicity concert tour.{{cite book| title = Yanni Newsletter: Fall 2003; volume 8 number 2|publisher = Yanni.com|year = 2003}}
=Discography=
Adams is credited as drummer or percussionist in the following albums, produced by Yanni unless otherwise noted.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col" style="width:4em;"|Year ! scope="col" style="width:16em;"|Tour / Album ! scope="col" style="width:6em;"|Billboard ! scope="col" style="width:6em;"|Billboard | ||||
| 1987 | Out of Silence | |||
| 1988 | Chameleon Days | |||
| 1988 | A Thousand Summers | John Tesh | ||
| 1989 | Niki Nana | 2 | ||
| 1992 | Yanni Gift Set (Reflections of Passion/In Celebration of Life) | |||
| 1992 | Romantic Moments | |||
| 1992 | Dare to Dream | 2 | 32 | Grammy-nominated (New Age) |
| 1994 | Live at the Acropolis | 1 | 5 | Sept. 1993 concerts at the Acropolis of Athens; second best selling music video of all time |
| 1999 | Love Songs | |||
| 2006 | Yanni Live! The Concert Event | 1 | 84 | 2004 concert; No. 4 selling New Age album of both 2006 and 2007 Peaked at No. 6 Billboard Top Independent Album (2006) |
| 2010 | Love Songs/Reflections of Passion |
=Influences=
Adams has indicated his musical influences to include Buddy Rich, the Beatles, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin.{{cite web|last1=Barron |first1=Jeff |title=Yanni drummer featured at workshop |url=http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2016/05/06/yanni-drummer-featured-workshop/84013982/ |date=May 6, 2016 |publisher=Lancaster Eagle-Gazette |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422200058/https://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/story/news/local/2016/05/06/yanni-drummer-featured-workshop/84013982/ |archive-date=April 22, 2021 |url-status=live }}
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em |refs=
[http://allmusic.com/artist/yanni-p2850/charts-awards/billboard-albums/peak_pos-asc Yanni / Billboard albums] (WebCite archives of [https://web.archive.org/web/20151006214701/http://allmusic.com/artist/yanni-p2850/charts-awards/billboard-albums/peak_pos-asc 2012-04-29] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20130308030515/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/yanni-mn0000687933/awards 2012-06-20]), Allmusic's listing of Billboard's album data, sorted by peak.
[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=yanni|chart=all}} "Billboard Legacy | Billboard 200 Albums of the Year..."], Billboard, (WebCite archives on 2014-05-29 of [https://web.archive.org/web/20140409180314/http://www.billboard.com/artist/431589/yanni/chart first] and [http://www.billboard.com/artist/431589/yanni/chart?page=1 second]{{dead link|date=June 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} pages for Yanni).
Klangboonkrong, Manta, [https://web.archive.org/web/20111123142646/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/On-a-high-with-Yanni-30167518.html "On a high with Yanni"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120707055033/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/On-a-high-with-Yanni-30167518.html WebCite archive]), The Nation (Thailand), October 13, 2011.
Bekheet, Diaa, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120128223908/http://blogs.voanews.com/jazz-beat/2012/01/23/yanni-north-america-tour-truth-of-touch/ "Yanni’s North America Tour, Truth of Touch"] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120130195629/http://blogs.voanews.com/jazz-beat/2012/01/23/yanni-north-america-tour-truth-of-touch/ WebCite archive]), Voice of America News, Jazz Beat, January 23, 2012.
Links to Billboard{{'}}s "Best of (year) / New Age Albums" for
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2006/top-new-age-albums 2006],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2007/top-new-age-albums 2007],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2008/top-new-age-albums 2008],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2009/top-new-age-albums 2009],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2010/top-new-age-albums 2010],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2011/top-new-age-albums 2011],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2012/top-new-age-albums 2012],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2013/top-new-age-albums 2013],
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2014/new-age-albums 2014], and
[http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2015/new-age-albums 2015].
}}
External links
{{Commons category|Charlie Adams (drummer)}}
- {{Official website|charlieadamsdrummer.com}}
- {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p50404|label=Charlie Adams}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061103230033/http://drummerworld.com/wishlist.html Charlie Adams] at Drummer World.com
- [http://www.musicmight.com/linkto/artist/{25960A17-30FE-47C0-B72F-261F753 Chameleon at MusicMight.com]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- {{IMDb name | id=2506551 | name=Charlie Adams}}
- {{discogs artist|artist=Charlie Adams|name=Charlie Adams}}
{{Yanni}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Charlie}}
Category:American male drummers
Category:American percussionists
Category:Musicians from Joliet, Illinois
Category:Musicians from Nashville, Tennessee
Category:20th-century American drummers
Category:21st-century American drummers
Category:20th-century American male musicians
Category:21st-century American male musicians