Krupa << KROO puh >>, Gene (1909-1973), was the first jazz musician to popularize the drum as a solo instrument. He became a symbol of the excitement and enthusiasm of the swing era in jazz while playing with the Benny Goodman band from 1934 to 1938. Krupa was famous for his exceptional drum technique and for the image he presented to the public—his shock of black hair flying, his face and body in continuous motion.
Eugene Bertram Krupa was born on Jan. 15, 1909, in Chicago. In the 1920’s, he played in dance bands but also worked in small jazz groups with Eddie Condon and other pioneers of early Chicago jazz. He went to New York City in 1928, where he played with Red Nichols and made records with Bix Beiderbecke. Krupa led his own bands from 1938 to 1943 and from 1944 to 1951. He toured with a quartet in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He died on Oct. 16, 1973.
