UpStArt – Always in the Pocket
+ By Rahsaan “Wordslave” Eldridge
Growing up in New Jersey, Richard King heard music everywhere. It was in the orchestra at school, on every block in his neighborhood, and in his home. His eclectic musical taste was influenced by artists he heard on the radio, ranging from Aretha Franklin and Grand Funk Railroad to the Beatles and Charlie Pride. When his mother noticed his love for music, she bought him a guitar, but for King, it was always about the drums.
He assembled makeshift drum kits from whatever materials he could get his hands on: garbage pails, potato chip cans, ash trays. Eventually, his mother gave him a snare drum that he played for about a year before requesting a full drum set. When his mother said she couldn’t afford it, King got a newspaper route and saved up money to buy one himself. The kit wasn’t in great shape, so he took it apart, cleaned it, and repaired it to a playable condition. King played that drum set for a couple of years, until he could buy a professional one. He built his playing skills by listening to records through headphones (which he also saved up to buy) and playing along with the music. That persistence was foundational to his career as a player and a vintage drum expert.
King was always looking for someone to play music with. He started his first band with neighbors when he was just 12 years old. He admits that they weren’t very good, but they always had a great time jamming. When bands rented houses in his neighborhood to rehearse, King watched through the window and sometimes knocked and asked to join them. Reluctantly, they let him play so he would leave, but that was fine with King; he was happy just to be playing.