Bobby Z.: Difference between revisions
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==Life and career== |
==Life and career== |
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===Early life=== |
===Early life=== |
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Rivkin began his musical career at the age of six, playing several different instruments before finally settling on the [[drums]]. In junior high school, he formed a small touring band in the [[Minneapolis]] area that included future [[Chicago Bears]] football coach [[Marc Trestman]] on rhythm guitar. |
Rivkin began his musical career at the age of six, playing several different instruments before finally settling on the [[drums]]. In junior high school, he formed a small touring band in the [[Minneapolis]] area that included future [[Chicago Bears]] football coach [[Marc Trestman]] on rhythm guitar. Rivkin and his family are [[Jewish]].<ref>The Secret Jewish History of Prince – The Forward |
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https://forward.com › Culture › Music: Israeli & Jewish Music |
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Jul 14, 2014 - The Forward - News that Matters to American Jews ... A Jewish Tribute to Prince, Holy Unifier of Spirit and Sex ... So when he hired musicians, they included drummer Bobby Z, who was really Robert Rivkin, a nice Jewish boy ...</ref><ref>Prince's Jewish Bandmates Announce Plans For Reunion Tour |
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https://forward.com › schmooze › princes-jewish-bandmates-announce-pla... |
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A video announcement was posted on drummer Bobby “Z” Rivkin's Facebook ... and included all the former band members BrownMark, Bobby Z, Wendy Melvoin, .... of shattered divine vessel that will sever the American Jewish community into ...</ref><ref>THE SONS OF MOSES with BOBBY Z | First Avenue |
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https://first-avenue.com › performer › sons-moses |
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Robert B. Rivkin, better known by the stage name Bobby Z., is an American musician and record producer, most known as being a member of Prince's band from 1978–1986, and as a ... Jewish Community Action and TC Jewfolk present.</ref><ref>Prince Had Many Backing Bands in His Career, but He Only ... |
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https://www.wweek.com › music › 2017/07/12 › prince-had-many-backin... |
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Jul 12, 2017 - But as drummer Bobby Z explains, they feel like he's still there in spirit—especially when they screw up. ... Prince played with a lot of musicians in his lifetime. ... As Wendy [Melvoin] tells it, when he disappeared from us to prep the ... First of all, to pick a nice Jewish kid from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and ...</ref><ref>Drummer Bobby Z, a Soldier in Prince's Revolution - Mpls.St ... |
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mspmag.com › arts-and-culture › a-soldier-in-princes-revolution |
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Dec 5, 2016 - Local musician Bobby Z was with Prince from the start. He let us in on what those early days with The Purple One were like. ... The tale of how the black kid from north Minneapolis met the Jewish kid from the suburb of St.</ref><ref>Drummer Bobby Z, a Soldier in Prince's Revolution - Mpls.St ... |
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mspmag.com › arts-and-culture › a-soldier-in-princes-revolution |
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Dec 5, 2016 - Local musician Bobby Z was with Prince from the start. He let us in on what those early days with The Purple One were like. ... The tale of how the black kid from north Minneapolis met the Jewish kid from the suburb of St.</ref> |
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===Career with Prince=== |
===Career with Prince=== |
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Revision as of 11:41, 6 January 2020
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Bobby Z. | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert B. Rivkin |
| Born | January 9, 1956 |
| Origin | Minneapolis |
| Genres | R&B, funk, rock, soul, new wave, Minneapolis sound |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, drummer, record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, percussion |
| Labels | Copycats |
Robert B. Rivkin (born January 9, 1956), better known by the stage name Bobby Z., is an American musician and record producer, most known as being the original drummer for Prince's band from 1978 to 1986, and as a member of The Revolution.
Life and career
Early life
Rivkin began his musical career at the age of six, playing several different instruments before finally settling on the drums. In junior high school, he formed a small touring band in the Minneapolis area that included future Chicago Bears football coach Marc Trestman on rhythm guitar. Rivkin and his family are Jewish.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Career with Prince
He met Prince in the late 1970s as Prince was forming his first band for touring. He started running errands for Prince while working for the man credited with discovering Prince, Owen Husney. Rivkin's stage name, Bobby Z., was derived from the nickname "Butzie" his grandmother used to call him.
Prince was adamant about having a white drummer in an effort to have a racially diverse band, so Husney implored Prince to audition Rivkin. Rivkin replaced Prince's cousin and original drummer Charles Smith much akin to Sly and the Family Stone. Rivkin was acknowledged in Prince's self-titled album as being a "heaven-sent" helper alongside Andre Cymone. By the time the 1999 album was released, Prince was relying more and more on electronic drums and Rivkin had to adapt his style to operate these in concert as well as the studio, starting with Controversy. He also contributed to Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, Parade and Sign o' the Times. In 1986 when Wendy & Lisa left The Revolution and the group disbanded after the Parade Tour ended, Prince also took the opportunity to replace Rivkin with Sheila E, daughter of veteran Bay Area drummer and percussionist Pete Escovedo.
Career after Prince and The Revolution
Bobby Z produced some tracks for Boy George's 1988 album, Tense Nervous Headache. Rivkin helped Wendy & Lisa on their debut album and he released his own self-titled album in 1989 (which included a re-recorded version of "River Run Dry" that he wrote for The Family).[7] Rivkin has since focused more on producing for the recently launched record label branch of Copycats media.
Health problems, recovery and reunions with Prince
Bobby Z. suffered a heart attack in early 2010 and after his recovery made it his mission to continue to raise public awareness of heart attack warning signs and risk factors. He has lobbied Congress for continued research. He set up a fund raising charity called My Purple Heart[8] which went about raising both funds and awareness of heart disease.
In 2011 he celebrated the one-year anniversary of surviving his near-fatal heart attack at First Avenue, with a rare reunion performance of The Revolution—Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Brown Mark, Dr. Fink, Dez Dickerson, Eric Leeds and Bobby Z., which raised much needed funds to benefit heart-health awareness,.
The concert, billed as a 'Benefit 2 Celebrate Life!' and presented by Z and the American Heart Association, featured The Revolution, along with heart-health and life-saving information and inspiring stories of survival. The Revolution had not played together since 2003.
His foundation My Purple Heart partnered with the American Heart Association again in 2013 to host a benefit concert and weekend block party on March 9, at First Avenue on the 2nd anniversary of his heart attack. Again members of The Revolution appeared alongside Bobby as well as star guests such as Maya Rudolph, local boy and runner up from The Voice Nicholas David, Alexander O'Neal, André Cymone, Dez Dickerson, Dr. Fink and The Roots drummer Questlove. Wendy Melvoin appeared as the resident guitarist for the night's events.
In May 2013 Bobby Z joined Prince on stage during the closing two shows of Prince's whirlwind 3rdeyegirl tour. Both shows took place on the same night with Bobby taking over from Prince's drummer Hannah Welton-Ford. He sat in on both shows for one song. On both occasions it was Purple Rain. In late May 2013 Bobby appeared alongside former bandmate André Cymone on a web based chat show co-hosted by celebrity blogger Dr.Funkenberry[9] where they both reminisced about their early days on the road with Prince. Bobby also mentioned that it was a thrill to be back onstage with Prince.
Current life
Bobby Z now hosts a radio show every Sunday on 96.3 K-TWIN in Minneapolis.[10]
Equipment
Drum kit:
- Black Simmons SDSV,
- Simmons SDSV Module,
- Linn LM-1 Drum Machine,
- Black Pearl Syncussion(x2),
- Pearl Syncussion Module(x2),
- 14" HiHat,
- 18" Crash,
- 20" Ride,
- 16" Crash
Personal life
Bobby's brothers are film maker Stephen E. Rivkin and fellow Minneapolis musician David Z. He is married to his wife Vicki and he is also the cousin of heavy metal drummer, Kristian Dobson.
References
- ^ The Secret Jewish History of Prince – The Forward https://forward.com › Culture › Music: Israeli & Jewish Music Jul 14, 2014 - The Forward - News that Matters to American Jews ... A Jewish Tribute to Prince, Holy Unifier of Spirit and Sex ... So when he hired musicians, they included drummer Bobby Z, who was really Robert Rivkin, a nice Jewish boy ...
- ^ Prince's Jewish Bandmates Announce Plans For Reunion Tour https://forward.com › schmooze › princes-jewish-bandmates-announce-pla... A video announcement was posted on drummer Bobby “Z” Rivkin's Facebook ... and included all the former band members BrownMark, Bobby Z, Wendy Melvoin, .... of shattered divine vessel that will sever the American Jewish community into ...
- ^ THE SONS OF MOSES with BOBBY Z | First Avenue https://first-avenue.com › performer › sons-moses Robert B. Rivkin, better known by the stage name Bobby Z., is an American musician and record producer, most known as being a member of Prince's band from 1978–1986, and as a ... Jewish Community Action and TC Jewfolk present.
- ^ Prince Had Many Backing Bands in His Career, but He Only ... https://www.wweek.com › music › 2017/07/12 › prince-had-many-backin... Jul 12, 2017 - But as drummer Bobby Z explains, they feel like he's still there in spirit—especially when they screw up. ... Prince played with a lot of musicians in his lifetime. ... As Wendy [Melvoin] tells it, when he disappeared from us to prep the ... First of all, to pick a nice Jewish kid from St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and ...
- ^ Drummer Bobby Z, a Soldier in Prince's Revolution - Mpls.St ... mspmag.com › arts-and-culture › a-soldier-in-princes-revolution Dec 5, 2016 - Local musician Bobby Z was with Prince from the start. He let us in on what those early days with The Purple One were like. ... The tale of how the black kid from north Minneapolis met the Jewish kid from the suburb of St.
- ^ Drummer Bobby Z, a Soldier in Prince's Revolution - Mpls.St ... mspmag.com › arts-and-culture › a-soldier-in-princes-revolution Dec 5, 2016 - Local musician Bobby Z was with Prince from the start. He let us in on what those early days with The Purple One were like. ... The tale of how the black kid from north Minneapolis met the Jewish kid from the suburb of St.
- ^ "Bobby Z - Bobby Z - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ "My Purple Heart". mypurpleheart. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ "Prince: Myth, Bobby Z (live!), Even Flow". Spreecast. May 29, 2013. Archived from the original on July 22, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- ^ "96.3 K-TWIN – Meet Bobby Z". Ktwin.com. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
- Uptown #42. May 31, 2000.
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