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Keith LeBlanc, Pioneering Drummer on Early Hip-Hop Classics by Grandmaster Flash and Sugar Hill Gang, Dies at 69
Keith LeBlanc, a drummer known for his work on early rap hits 'White Lines' and 'The Message' and later with Tackhead and Nine Inch Nails, has died.
Later in his career he worked extensively as a producer, session musician — including on Nine Inch Nails’ 1989 debut “Pretty Hate Machine” — and member of the bands Little Axe and Tackhead. The music required both precision and flair, and the trio were ace musicians who both held down the beat and gave songs like “The Message” and “White Lines” a vitality to support the rappers and their lyrics. Tackhead actually signed with the U.S. major label SBK and released the “Strange Things” album — featuring veteran session singer Bernard Fowler — but unsurprisingly did not remain with the company.
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