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Ginger Baker

FRA is delighted to be representing the memoirs that Ginger Baker is compiling, in collaboration with his daughter Ginette.

Ginger Baker was rock's first superstar drummer. Virtually every drummer of every heavy metal band since that time has sought to emulate some aspect of Ginger's playing.

Born Peter Edward Baker in 1939 in the London borough of Lewisham, by his mid-teens his interest had focussed on music, expecially percussion. He became devoted to modern art and contemporary jazz in the mid- to late 1950s. A natural musician, he talked himself into his first professional gig when he was 16, and was soon working full-time on the road. By 1960 he had passed through several 'Trad' or 'Dixieland' bands, including those of Terry Lightfoot and Acker Bilk, but found himself more interested in the budding British blues scene, exemplified by the work of Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies.

The trio Cream came about as a result of Ginger's work with the Graham Bond Organization, and featured Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce on guitar and bass respectively. Cream turned Ginger into a permanent superstar. Blind Faith, with Clapton and Stevie Winwood, was a spectacular, if short-lived success, and led to Ginger Baker's Air Force in which were to be found Graham Bond and Ginger's mentor, Phil Seaman. In 1971 Ginger moved to Nigeria,where he set up the first modern recording studio in western Africa.

During 1974 Ginger formed the Baker-Gurvitz Army with Adrian and Paul Gurvitz. By the 1990s he found himself returning to his jazz roots.