Vinnie Colaiuta American drummer Date of Birth: 05.02.1956 Country: USA

1. Biography of Vinnie Colaiuta
2. Joining Frank Zappa
3. Collaboration with Sting
4. Continued Success

Biography of Vinnie Colaiuta

Vinnie Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. He began playing drums at a young age and received his first drum set from his parents when he was 14 years old. Colaiuta is known for his versatility and has collaborated with renowned musicians from various genres and styles. After completing a year of studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Colaiuta moved to Los Angeles.

Joining Frank Zappa

Colaiuta gained recognition in April 1978 when he auditioned and joined Frank Zappa's band. He recorded several albums with Zappa, including Tinseltown Rebellion, Joe's Garage, and Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar. Colaiuta's drum parts on Joe's Garage were listed among the top 25 drum performances of all time by Modern Drummer magazine. After parting ways with Zappa, Colaiuta worked with numerous rock and pop artists, including Gino Vannelli, Joni Mitchell, Barbra Streisand, Sandy & Junior, Clannad, Wang Chung, Chaka Khan, and Jeff Beck. He also collaborated with jazz musicians such as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Haslip, Quincy Jones, Buddy Rich, Buell Neidlinger, and John Patitucci.

Collaboration with Sting

In 1990, Colaiuta joined musician Sting as his drummer for a concert tour in support of the album The Soul Cages. He remained Sting's drummer for the next seven years. Colaiuta declined to participate in the Brand New Day tour and left the band, citing exhaustion from extensive touring. His drum performances can be heard on albums such as Ten Summoner's Tales, Mercury Falling, Brand New Day (3 songs), and Sacred Love (2 songs). In 2003, Colaiuta rejoined the band for a promotional tour of Sacred Love but declined to participate in the world tour.

Continued Success

Colaiuta remains one of the most in-demand session drummers for recording albums, soundtracks, TV and radio jingles. From 2006 to 2007, he toured with Jeff Beck and Tal Wilkenfeld. He has also performed with Faith Hill and recorded drum parts for the thrash metal band Megadeth's album The System Has Failed.