![]() It was just after this six-month period that Willie was asked to join “ Utopia” with Todd Rundgren. This was a big band gig and also starred legendary vibes player “ Lionel Hampton” and legendary bass player “Gerald Jemott,” Aretha Franklin’s long-time bass player. Willie took a gig with Bette Midler playing the show “Clams on The Half Shell” and performed on Broadway for six months at the Minskoff Theatre. This would be Willie’s first meeting with Todd Rundgren who would become a lifelong musical collaboration with Willie in the band “Utopia.” The next landmark opportunity brought the recording of the record “ War Babies” with Hall and Oates. This would be the beginning of his rock music drumming career. Willie aced the audition and went on to tour extensively with Daryl and John opening for artists like Lou Reed, The Bee Gees and Dr. They were preparing to tour their new record “Abandon Luncheonette” featuring the hit song “She’s Gone”. ![]() He played at the playboy club and also played the big band mountain circuit playing live shows in the Catskills for the classic acts while attending college.ĭuring his last year at the Manhattan School of Music Willie auditioned for the Daryl Hall and John Oates band. While in New York Willie studied drums with legendary jazz drum instructor Jim Blackley. Willie completed a year at the Berklee School of Music and quickly transferred to the Manhattan School of Music in NYC. This was a piece that was normally performed by college graduates as their final performance piece for graduation at schools like Julliard and Manhattan School of Music. The piece they performed was by the French composer “Darius Milhaud” titled: “Concerto for percussion and small orchestra.” It featured timpani, marimba, suspended bass drum, triangles, ratchets and multiple percussion instruments. Willie graduated high school winning a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music performing a percussion piece with a resident pianist and composer Dr. He got to meet and mingle with his big band and drumming idols and one night was asked by Gene to sit in with his band further cementing Willie’s career path into the drumming world. Wille sat in the front row as a 16-year-old kid watching Count Basie, Woody Herman, Duke Ellington, Max Roach and Gene Krupa playing live! Willie was the intermission entertainment between the band’s sets playing drums lives along with Freddie Hubbard and John Coltrane records on a huge stereo system behind the bar. It was here that he attended drum clinics with Max Roach, Gene Krupa, Ludwig’s Joe Morello and Mel Taylor of the “Ventures.” Teo Macero, producer of many of the Miles Davis records lived in Glens Falls and had an Italian restaurant there called “Maceros.” Teo invited the big-bands to play there as a favor to him on the way to their Montreal gigs from New York. He would go on to study drums and percussion as a teenager in Glens Falls NY at the local drum shop, “Freddy’s.” He worked in the drum shop cleaning and repairing Ludwig drum kits, studying & eventually teaching. There seemed to be something magical about being on that stage and at 10 years of age Willie was hooked! ![]() Willie would watch his dad playing concerts in the park and fondly remembers the feeling of going up on stage after the band’s performance, and watching all the musicians packing up their instruments. He also has been the senior audio director for Bally Technologies and Scientific Games in Las Vegas, Nevada from 2010 to 2020.īorn in Trenton New Jersey in 1951, Willie was first inspired by his father who was a trombone and bass player. He is best known for being a member of the band Utopia. John " Willie" Wilcox (born September 21, 1951, in Trenton, New Jersey) is an American drummer, vocalist, producer, recording engineer, sound designer, composer and senior audio director. ![]() ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) ( November 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. ![]()
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