Bill Kreutzmann

Bill Kreutzmann (William Kreutzmann Jr.), born on May 7, 1946 in Palo Alto, California, is an American drummer best known as a founding member of the legendary rock group the Grateful Dead. He began playing drums at the age of thirteen, initially on a borrowed Slingerland kit, and despite early discouragement from a sixth‑grade teacher he persisted, drawing inspiration from Ray Charles, R&B, jazz giants like Elvin Jones and funk outfits such as The Meters. In 1964 he co‑founded the Warlocks, later renamed the Grateful Dead, and at only nineteen performed his first gig on May 5, 1965; he would remain with the band for its entire thirty‑year existence, sharing the rhythmic throne with fellow percussionist Mickey Hart in the iconic “Rhythm Devils” duo. Kreutzmann’s drumming helped shape the band’s eclectic sound, blending rock, psychedelia, jam, and jazz influences, and he performed on every one of the Dead’s roughly 2,300 shows, a feat matched by only three other members. After the death of Jerry Garcia in 1995 and the subsequent dissolution of the Grateful Dead, Kreutzmann continued to explore new musical avenues, forming side projects such as Backbone, The Other Ones, The Dead, the Trichromes, and the supergroup Dead & Company, which toured intermittently through 2022. He also pursued visual arts, producing the documentary Ocean Spirit in 1995 and releasing limited‑edition digital artwork since 2001. A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient (2007) and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (1994), Kreutzmann has authored a memoir, Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams, and Drugs with the Grateful Dead (2015), offering an intimate portrait of his life behind the kit. Throughout his career, he has been noted for his humility, his experimental spirit, and his enduring commitment to the improvisational ethos that defines the jam‑band tradition.