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Chad Cromwell
Chad Cromwell
	Cromwell in 2009
Background information
Born	June 14, 1957 (age 67); Paducah, Kentucky, U.S.
Genres	Rock; country;
Occupation	Drummer
Years active	1986–present

Chad Cromwell (born June 14, 1957) is an American rock drummer whose music career has spanned more than 30 years. He is the founding member of a band called Fortunate Sons, which released a self-titled album in 2004.

Cromwell has worked with multiple prominent artists from various genres, including Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Joe Walsh, Joss Stone, Bonnie Raitt, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Early life

Cromwell was born on June 14, 1957, in Paducah, Kentucky. When he was three years old he moved with his parents and siblings to Memphis, Tennessee in 1960. In 1970, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and remained there for the rest of his childhood.

He started playing drums at the age of eight, wearing headphones as he played along to records in an upstairs room of his parents' home. By the age of twelve he was playing in garage bands in the local neighborhood.^[1]

Career

Cromwell started recording and touring with Joe Walsh in 1986,^[2] appearing on two albums, Got Any Gum? and Ordinary Average Guy.

In 1987, Cromwell began a collaboration with songwriter Neil Young. The initial sessions became Neil Young & The Bluenotes. Since then he has recorded and toured with Young on several occasions, and appears on albums such as Freedom (1989), Prairie Wind (2005) Living with War (2006) and Chrome Dreams II (2007). He has also appeared in Heart of Gold, a documentary capturing the debut of Neil Young's album, Prairie Wind (along with other Young classics).^[3] This was filmed at the Ryman auditorium and directed by Jonathan Demme.

Cromwell is also known for his contributions to Mark Knopfler's solo albums Golden Heart (1996), Sailing to Philadelphia (2000), The Ragpicker's Dream (2002) and Shangri-La (2004). He was also part of Knopfler's band during the tours of his first solo albums.^[4]

Cromwell toured with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the summer of 2006.^[5]

He has also worked with many other artists including Dave Stewart, Vince Gill,^[6] Amy Grant, Lady Antebellum, Diana Krall, Willie Nelson,^[7] Jackson Browne,^[8] Boz Scaggs, Wynonna, Trisha Yearwood, Miranda Lambert, Bonnie Raitt,^[7] Peter Frampton,^[9] Allison Moorer,^[10] Chris Knight,^[11] Joss Stone,^[12] Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, and Stevie Nicks.

In the mid-2000s, Cromwell formed the band Fortunate Sons along with Michael Rhodes, Gary Nicholson, Kenny Greenberg, and Reese Wynans. They released a self-titled album in 2004.^[13] He is also a member of the occasional touring band, Big Al Anderson and The Balls, led by former NRBQ guitarist Al Anderson.

In 2012, he appeared on The Beach Boys' studio album entitled That's Why God Made the Radio. In 2013, he was featured on Bonnie Tyler's album, Rocks and Honey.

In 2014, he provided drums on Drake Bell's third studio album, Ready Steady Go!

Personal life

He lives in both Nashville and Los Angeles with his wife, Windy.^[14]

Collaborations

With Trace Adkins

Love Will... (Show Dog, 2013)

With Lady Antebellum

Lady Antebellum (Capitol Records, 2008)
Need You Now (Capitol Records, 2010)
Own the Night (Capitol Records, 2011)
Golden (Capitol Records, 2013)

With Katie Armiger

Believe (Cold River Records, 2008)
Fall Into Me (Cold River Records, 2013)

With Sweet Pea Atkinson

Get What You Deserve (Blue Note, 2017)

With Joan Baez

Play Me Backwards (Virgin Records, 1992)
Gone from Danger (Guardian, 1997)

With The Beach Boys

That's Why God Made the Radio (Capitol Records, 2012)

With Drake Bell

Ready Steady Go! (Warner Bros. Records, 2014)

With Matraca Berg

Sunday Morning to Sunday Night (Rising Tride Records, 1997)

With Michael Bolton

All That Matters (Columbia Records, 1997)

With Joe Bonamassa

Dust Bowl (J&R Adventures, 2011)

With Danielle Bradbery

Danielle Bradbery (Big Machine Records, 2013)

With Lee Brice

I Don't Dance (Curb Records, 2014)

With Kix Brooks

New to This Town (Arista Records, 2012)

With Brooks & Dunn

Cowboy Town (Arista Records, 2007)

With Pieta Brown

Remember the Sun (One Little Independent Records, 2007)
Mercury (Red House Records, 2011)
Postcards (Lustre Records, 2017)

With Billy Burnette

Rock & Roll With It (Rock & Roll With It Records, 2011)

With Shawn Camp

Fireball (Skeeterbit, 2006)

With Mary Chapin Carpenter

Between Here and Gone (Columbia Records, 2004)

With Paul Carrack

I Know That Name (Carrack UK, 2008)

With Jeff Carson

Jeff Carson (Curb Records, 1995)

With Beth Nielsen Chapman

Uncovered (BNC Records, 2014)

With Steven Curtis Chapman

Signs of Life (Sparrow Records, 1996)

With Kenny Chesney

When the Sun Goes Down (BNA Records, 2004)
Be as You Are (BNA Records, 2005)
The Road and the Radio (BNA Records, 2005)
The Big Revival (Columbia Records, 2014)
Cosmic Hallelujah (Columbia Records, 2016)
Songs for the Saints (Warner Bros. Records, 2018)
Here and Now (Blue Chair, 2020)
Born (Blue Chair, 2024)

With Terri Clark

Classic (EMI, 2012)

With Mark Collie

Book of My Blues (Harvest, 2021)

With John Cowan

John Cowan (Sugar Hill Records, 2000)

With Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

American Dream (Atlantic Records, 1988)

With Rodney Crowell

The Houston Kid (Sugar Hill Records, 2001)
The Outsider (Columbia Records, 2005)

With George Ducas

George Ducas (Liberty Records, 1994)

With Ronnie Dunn

Ronnie Dunn (Arista Records, 2011)
Re-Dunn (Little Will-E Records, 2020)

With Radney Foster

See What You Want to See (Arista Records, 1999)

With Peter Frampton

Now (33rd Street Records, 2003)
Fingerprints (Polydor Records, 2006)
Thank You Mr. Churchill (New Door Records, 2010)
Hummingbird in a Box (Red Distribution, 2014)

With Vince Gill

Next Big Thing (MCA Records, 2003)
These Days (MCA Records, 2006)
Guitar Slinger (MCA Records, 2011)

With William Lee Golden

American Vagabond (MCA Records, 1986)

With Amy Grant

House of Love (A&M Records, 1994)
Behind the Eyes (A&M Records, 1997)
Legacy... Hymns and Faith (A&M Records, 2002)
Simple Things (A&M Records, 2003)
Rock of Ages... Hymns and Faith (World Records, 2005)
Somewhere Down the Road (Sparrow Records, 2010)

With Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell

Old Yellow Moon (Nonesuch Records, 2013)

With Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler

All the Roadrunning (Mercury Records, 2006)

With Rebecca Lynn Howard

Rebecca Lynn Howard (MCA Records, 2000)

With Sonya Isaacs

Sonya Isaacs (Lyric Street Records, 2000)

With Jewel

Picking Up the Pieces (Sugar Hill Records, 2015)

With Jamey Johnson

The Dollar (BNA Records, 2006)
Living for a Song (Mercury Records, 2012)

With Toby Keith

A Classic Christmas (Show Dog Nashville, 2007)
Big Dog Daddy (Show Dog Nashville, 2007)
Bullets in the Gun (Universal Music, 2010)
Clancy's Tavern (Universal Music, 2011)
Hope on the Rocks (Universal Music, 2012)
Drinks After Work (Universal Music, 2013)
35 MPH Town (Universal Music, 2015)
Peso in My Pocket (Universal Music, 2021)

With Charles Kelley

The Driver (Capitol Records, 2016)

With Mark Knopfler

Golden Heart (Vertigo Records, 1996)
Sailing to Philadelphia (Mercury Records, 2000)
The Ragpicker's Dream (Mercury Records, 2002)
Shangri-La (Mercury Records, 2004)
One Take Radio Sessions (Mercury Records, 2005)

With Alison Krauss

Windy City (Capitol Records, 2017)

With Miranda Lambert

Kerosene (Epic Records, 2005)
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Columbia Records, 2007)
Revolution (Columbia Records, 2009)

With Jim Lauderdale

Whisper (BNA Records, 1997)
Patchwork River (Thirty Tigers, 2010)
I'm a Song (Sky Crunch Records, 2014)

With Cyndi Lauper

Detour (Rhino Records, 2016)

With Kenny Marks

Attitude (DaySpring Records, 1986)
Make It Right (DaySpring Records, 1987)

With Mac McAnally

Word of Mouth (DreamWorks, 1999)
Semi-True Stories (Mailboat Records, 2004)
Aka Nobody (Mailboat Records, 2015)
Southbound: The Orchestra Project (Mailboat Records, 2017)

With Shane McAnally

Shane McAnally (Curb Records, 2000)

With Pat McLaughlin

Next Five Miles (Creamstyle, 2003)
Horsefly (Creamstyle, 2006)

With Jo Dee Messina

Unmistakable: Love (Curb Records, 2010)

With Frankie Miller

Long Way Home (Brighton Music, 2006)

With John Michael Montgomery

Brand New Me (Atlantic Records, 2000)

With Allison Moorer

Alabama Song (MCA Records, 1998)
The Hardest Part (MCA Records, 2000)
Down to Believing (Proper Records, 2015)

With Keb' Mo'

Keep It Simple (Sony, 2004)

With Craig Morgan

This Ole Boy (Black River, 2012)

With Willie Nelson

To All the Girls... (Legacy Recordings, 2013)
First Rose of Spring (Legacy Recordings, 2020)
A Beautiful Time (Legacy Recordings, 2022)

With Joe Nichols

III (Universal Music, 2005)

With Stevie Nicks

In Your Dreams (Reprise Records, 2011)
24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault (Reprise Records, 2014)

With Chris Norman

Chris Norman (Polydor Records, 1994)

With John Oates

1000 Miles Of Life (Phunk Shui Records, 2008)
Good Road to Follow (Elektra Records, 2014)

With Anders Osborne

Buddha & The Blues (Back on Dumaine Records, 2019)
Picasso's Villa (5Th Ward Records, 2024)

With Jake Owen

Barefoot Blue Jean Night (RCA Records, 2011)

With Orianthi Panagaris

Heaven in This Hell (Robo Records, 2013)

With Lee Roy Parnell

Midnight Believer (Vector Records, 2017)

With Dolly Parton

Blue Smoke (Dolly Records, 2014)

With Kellie Pickler

100 Proof (BNA Records, 2012)

With Kim Richey

Kim Richey (Mercury Records, 1995)

With Lionel Richie

Tuskegee (Mercury Records, 2012)

With LeAnn Rimes

Blue (Curb Records, 1996)
Spitfire (Curb Records, 2013)

With Bob Seger

Ride Out (Capitol Records, 2014)
I Knew You When (Capitol Records, 2017)

With Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton (Warner Bros. Records, 2001)
Pure BS (Warner Bros. Records, 2007)

With Ashton Shepherd

Sounds So Good (MCA Records, 2008)

With Jessica Simpson

In This Skin (Columbia Records, 2003)

With Joss Stone

LP1 (Surfdog Records, 2011)
Never Forget My Love (Bay Street, 2022)

With Livingston Taylor

There You Are Again (Coconut Bay, 2005)
Last Alaska Moon (Coconut Bay, 2010)

With Josh Turner

Everything Is Fine (MCA Records, 2007)
Deep South (MCA Records, 2017)
Country State of Mind (MCA Records, 2020)

With Bonnie Tyler

Rocks and Honey (Warner Bros. Records, 2013)

With Roch Voisine

Coup de tête (Les Disques Star Records, 1994)
Americana (RCA Records, 2008)

With Joe Walsh

Got Any Gum? (Warner Bros. Records, 1987)
Ordinary Average Guy (Epic Records, 1991)

With Holly Williams

Here with Me (Mercury Records, 2009)

With Brian Wilson

No Pier Pressure (Capitol Records, 2015)

With Gretchen Wilson

All Jacked Up (Epic Records, 2005)

With Lee Ann Womack

Some Things I Know (MCA Records, 1998)
I Hope You Dance (MCA Records, 2000)

With Chely Wright

Never Love You Enough (MCA Records, 2001)

With Trisha Yearwood

Jasper County (MCA Records, 2005)
Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love (Big Machine Records, 2007)
PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit (RCA Records, 2014)

With Neil Young

This Note's For You (Reprise Records, 1988)
Freedom (Reprise Records, 1989)
Prairie Wind (Reprise Records, 2005)
Living with War (Reprise Records, 2006)
Chrome Dreams II (Reprise Records, 2007)
Fork in the Road (Reprise Records, 2009)

With Robin Zander

Countryside Blvd (Big3 Records, 2011)

References

^ "Zildjian Artists-Chad Cromwell Artist Page". zildjian.com. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
^ Gomez, Alex M. (November 27, 1987). "Joe Walsh keeping young", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, p. 22.
^ Varga, George (February 23, 2006). "The right chemistry: Demme, Young 'were on the same page' for 'Neil Young: Heart of Gold'", The San Diego Union-Tribune, p. ND.
^ Morse, Steve (March 22, 1996). "Mark Knopfler takes a Strait-country line on solo CD", The Boston Globe, p. 62.
^ "Neil Young Concert Review". thrasherswheat.org. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
^ (June 13, 2003). "Pop music: Gill's going strong", The Press-Enterprise, p. AA3.
^ ^a ^b Danton, Eric R. (December 31, 2006). "Rockin' once again: Big Al Anderson's new album goes back to his roots", The Hartford Courant, p. G1.
^ Caudle, Todd (August 17, 1989). "Browne lets music do the talking: More rock, less rally this time", Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph, p. D5.
^ Sandler, Adam (October 2003). "Peter Frampton; Joe Bonamassa", Variety Review Database.
^ Novak, Ralph (September 11, 2000). "The Hardest Part", People 54 (11): 52.
^ McGuinness, Jim (April 24, 1998). "Dark side of Knight: A little hard-luck music", The Record, p. 36.
^ thodoris (April 12, 2012). "Interview:Chad Cromwell (Neil Young,Mark Knopfler,Joss Stone,Joe Bonamassa)". Hit Channel. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
^ Bumgardner, Ed (April 1, 2004). "Fortunate Sons", Winston-Salem Journal, p. 9.
^ Amendola, Billy. "Chad Cromwell", Modern Drummer. Retrieved on February 7, 2015.