Buddy Rich, legendary jazz drummer and bandleader, passed away on April 2nd, 1987, at the age of 69. Born in Brooklyn in 1917, Rich began playing the drums at the age of two and by age four was performing in Vaudeville shows. He soon gained a reputation as one of the most influential drummers of the jazz era and toured widely with the likes of Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa and Tommy Dorsey. In addition to his live performances, Rich recorded with hundreds of artists, ranging from Frank Sinatra to Dizzy Gillespie to Louis Armstrong. In 1967, he formed his own big band, with which he travelled for two decades, performing a mix of swing, hard bop and bebop. Rich was renowned for his technique and virtuosity on the drums, and his influence on the jazz world would remain long after his death. He was posthumously inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1988, and to this day is revered as one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time.