Benny Benjamin

For years, Berry Gordy, a hit-making songwriter in Motown, refused to record anything unless Benny Benjamin was in the studio with him. Benny Benjamin had a knack for executing various rhythms all at once. He had a steadiness that would help Gordy keep the tempo better than a metronome.

He is an American musician, best known as the lead drummer for the Motown studio band called The Funk Brothers. He is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. Benjamin was nominated in the "Sidemen" category of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. He was named the 11th greatest drummer of all time by Rolling Stone in 2016. Not only that, he is the eighth-most famous drummer on this list.

Like many of the artists on this list that we've talked about, Benjamin struggled with addiction, and it kept him out of the studio often. Benjamin died of a stroke in 1969, but not before he was a mentor to the young Stevie Wonder, who credits Benjamin for his own drumming style. Stevie Wonder says he learned a lot from Benny Benjamin, who was one of the major forces in the Motown sound.

Born: July 15, 1925
Died: April 20, 1969

Nationality: American