Talented Musicians Blog: Meet Joe Bellia

An Interview with Joe Bellia

Hi, Joe how many years have you been playing drums?
I've been playing for 52 years!!!!!!

Who were some of your influences?
There are many great drummers to learn from. Everyone has something to offer. Every time I see a drummer, whether they are famous or not, I find something to learn. Some well-known artists consist of Ringo (saw him on the Ed Sullivan show), Mitch Mitchell (Hendrix), John Bonham (Led Zep), Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck), Steve Gadd (Studio Great) and many more!!!! I studied with Joe on and off from when I was sixteen to about a year before his death. He is the master of technique.

How many bands have you been in?
I've played with too many bands to count!!!! I've actually only been officially in a few. My latest is a Beatle-inspired band called The Weeklings. They are great originals and obscure Beatle covers. We're releasing our second album (recorded at Abbey Road) in November.

What's it like to gig?
All gigs are fun... but some are not as fun. It depends on the quality and attitude of the musicians. Some gigs have great musicians and are fun. Others have great musicians and are not fun because of the attitude. Some gigs have not so great musicians but are really fun because they are fun guys.

How often do you practice?
I play the drums every day. Sometimes I play for a very short time, for a long time, playing to practice certain things that I have trouble with and other times I'm playing to learn songs. Sometimes I'm just playing exercises to keep in shape.

What advice can you give a new musician starting out?
My advice to new musicians would be to practice a lot, get out there to listen to a lot of bands and listen to a lot of music. Introduce yourself and meet a lot of musicians. When you get a gig, do your homework, come prepared, be on time and be a nice person and easy to work with.

What was one of your accomplishments as a musician?
I am blessed to have toured and played with: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Dave Mason, Jon Bon Jovi and the Kings of Suburbia, Bruce Springsteen, Marshall Crenshaw, Gary US Bonds, The Allman Brothers, Greg Rolie, Nile Lofgren, Rick Derringer, Bob Bandiera, Marc Rivera, The Weeklings and many many more.