Philip Paul

Philip Paul (August 11, 1925 – January 30, 2022) was an American studio drummer from Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 2009, he was honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, as part of their "From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits". Also in 2009, Paul was honored with the Ohio Heritage Fellowship, Ohio's highest honor for traditional artists. In 2002, he was honored by the Cincinnati Enquirer with a Lifetime CAMMY Award for his contributions to the music and culture of the city.

Early life Paul was born in Harlem, New York, on August 11, 1925. He was raised in Manhattan and learned to play the drums when he was nine years old. His father, Philip Paul, Sr. arrived in the U.S. from St. Croix with his brothers, Fred and John. They worked construction during the day and performed in their own Afro-Caribbean jazz band at night. Paul Jr. became mesmerized by the drums played by his uncle, John. When Paul was nine years old, his father bought him a drum set, along with lessons. By the time he was 13 years old, he began playing with his father's band.

Professional background Paul was just out of his teens when he began playing at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem with various musicians including Arthur Prysock, Buddy Johnson's Big Band, Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie.

In 1951, he was playing with Buddy Johnson one night, when Tiny Bradshaw heard him play and invited him to move to Cincinnati and join his band. Johnson's band played at the Cotton Club in Newport, Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati. The club was considered the premier nightspot for the black community. While Paul and his parents were initially opposed to leaving New York, Paul accepted the offer and moved to Cincinnati. From 1951 to 1964, he was often called on as the "go to" studio drummer for bands playing at the club.

Paul played drums on an early Hank Ballard hit, "Sexy Ways", along with R&B/pop chart hits "Finger Poppin' Time" and "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" with Hank Ballard and The Midnighters. He was also on the original recordings of Little Willie John's "I'm Shakin'", Charles Brown's "Please Come Home for Christmas", Tiny Bradshaw's "Soft", and nearly every Freddie King record, including his biggest hits "Hide Away" and "Tore Down".

"If someone were to try to isolate the single heartbeat of the early days of rock and roll, as it transitions from 'race music' to 'rhythm & blues' to whatever you want to call what early rock and roll is, that heartbeat is Philip. (He is) the thread that runs through so much of the important music of that period."

Personal life and death In later life, Paul lived in the Evanston neighborhood of Cincinnati with his wife, Juanita and stepdaughter, Ramona. He continued to perform on the weekends at The Cincinnatian Hotel.

Honors and awards In 2002, Paul was honored by the Cincinnati Enquirer with a Lifetime CAMMY Award for his contributions to the music and culture of the city.

In 2009, Paul and his wife, Juanita were honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, as part of their "From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits". The presentation included a retrospective of his recording background at King Records, his nationwide tours, and his 50 year career as a studio drummer in the Cincinnati nightclubs.

In July 2009, he was honored with the Ohio Heritage Fellowship. The Fellowship was presented during the CityFolk Festival in Dayton. The summer-long festival was a statewide celebration of his lifetime of work in the music industry. The Ohio Heritage Fellowship is Ohio's highest honor bestowed on traditional artists on behalf of the city of Cincinnati.