Heritage

I am blessed to have been born into a family with a long line of drummers. I am the fifth in four generations to be exact! I have enjoyed the constant encouragement from my Pops, as well as my whole family. Below you can read a little about the men in my family who preceded me in drumming.

Great Grandpa John A. Gillen

Born 1867 in New York. Little is known of my Great Grandfather. On a census that we have discovered, it appears that his occupation is listed as musician. My Uncle Jimmy remembered that he played a marching snare drum and was doing so during the John Phillips Sousa era before the drum set was invented.

Grandpa John Aloysious Gillen

My Grandfather was the top player in New York City during the Vaudeville era. Not only did he play for Vaudeville stage acts, but also in front of the silent motion picture screens, adding sound effects and drums to the live soundtracks.

Uncle Jimmy Gillen

My uncle was a successful rock n roll and blues drummer. He spent many years in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the remainder of his career and life in the San Francisco, California area. He was most famous for playing with the Edger Winter Group.

Thomas Vincent "Tommy" Gillen

My dad, whom I affectionately call "Pops," was born in Cornwall, New York on November 3, 1932.

He was the house drummer at The Copa Cabana and The Latin Quarter in New York City. From there Pops went on to play with many of the top artists of the day including Sammy Davis, Jr., Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Ralph Flanagan and His Orchestra, and many more artists and big bands. He eventually moved his family to Los Angeles where he became the NBC staff drummer for many years playing on all the shows of the day including "Laugh-In", "The Tonight Show", "The American College Show", "The Jerry Lewis Show", "The Sammy Davis, Jr. Show", and many more. He finished off his television recording career with a fourteen year run on "Let’s Make A Deal". Pops can currently be seen playing around Los Angeles with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Band.