FERRONE
Steve

• 1. Musical career

Steve Ferrone is an English drummer. He is known as a member of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 to 2017, replacing original drummer Stan Lynch, and as part of the "classic lineup" of the Average White Band in the 1970s. Ferrone has recorded and performed with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Duran Duran, Stevie Nicks, Laura Pausini, Christine McVie, Rick James, Slash, Chaka Khan, Bee Gees, Scritti Politti, Aerosmith, Al Jarreau, Mick Jagger and Johnny Cash. Ferrone also hosts 'The New Guy' weekly radio show on Sirius Xm's 'Tom Petty Radio'.

Musical career

Ferrone played with the band Bloodstone, appearing on their 1975 album Riddle of the Sphinx. He then began playing with Brian Auger's band Oblivion Express, which had previously featured drummer Robbie McIntosh.

McIntosh later joined the Average White Band and had just released their first number one album when McIntosh died of a heroin overdose. Ferrone was asked to join AWB in his place and stayed with them for the next eight years, recording and playing concert tours to support several hit albums, until AWB broke up in 1982.

Since appearing on Chaka Khan's 1978 debut album, he went on to play on most of her subsequent albums in the 80s, including "Naughty" with former AWB band member Hamish Stuart. In 1985, Ferrone joined the Saturday Night Live house band and was there for the 1985–86 season. He contributed as session drummer for Duran Duran on the Notorious, Duran Duran, and Thank You albums. He also toured with Duran Duran on the Strange Behaviour Tour in support of Notorious. He also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton from 1986 to 1992. During rehearsals in London for the George Harrison tour, he played drums for Duran Duran at Abbey Road Studios and recorded "Ordinary World" In 1991, Ferrone played drums on the George Harrison tour in Japan including three nights at the Tokyo Dome.

Ferrone has also appeared on recordings by Eric Clapton, Bee Gees, Scritti Politti, Brian May, Anita Baker, George Benson, Jonathan Butler, Cyndi Lauper, Bryan Ferry, Climie Fisher, Christine McVie, Peter Frampton, Jeff Golub, Rick James, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Freddie King, Tracy Chapman, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Steve Winwood, Michael W. Smith, Morrissey–Mullen, Dick Morrissey, Jeffrey Osborne, Paul Simon, Alan Frew, Laura Pausini, Bernie Worrell, Al Jarreau, Michael Jackson and Jaco Pastorius.

Ferrone substituted for Joey Kramer of Aerosmith during pre-production of the band's album Nine Lives while Kramer was grieving the loss of his father.

Ferrone met guitarist Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers when the two played a show with George Harrison as part of his Hara and the Hijack band at Royal Albert Hall. He became the band's full-time drummer after the departure of original drummer Stan Lynch in 1994. Ferrone's first album with the band was Tom Petty's second solo outing Wildflowers, released that same year. His first live performance as a member of the Heartbreakers was in Louisville, Kentucky on 28 February 1995.

Ferrone thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Heartbreakers, saying that "everyone should have an experience like The Heartbreakers in their musical life: creativity, passion, honesty, integrity and a lot of fun."

In November 2002, Ferrone founded Drumroll Studios in Burbank, California with financial advisor Alan Arora and the help and technical expertise of producer John Jones, with whom he had worked since Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" in 1992. Later, they were joined by guitarist and producer Steve Postell. Together they recorded and produced albums and tracks for a wide variety of musical acts, as well as film and TV scores.

Ferrone released a live solo album titled It Up: Steve Ferrone and Friends Live at La Ve Lee in 2003.

In 2007, he played drums on the self-titled debut album by The Black and White Years, produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads.

In 2010, Ferrone played on the eponymous first solo album by Slash, and joined the Italian band Pooh. He also worked on a collaborative project with composer and musician Eric Alexandrakis, guitarist and composer Warren Cuccurullo, and producer and songwriter Anthony J. Resta. Explaining the purpose of that project in a Modern Drummer news release, Alexandrakis said, "The four of us decided to create a scoring collective to pursue scoring projects in TV themes, film and advertising." In August 2018 he was announced as drummer for Dire Straits Legacy prior to their first US tour, consisting of 10 dates.

In 2011 Ferrone began playing with old friends Alan Clark and Phil Palmer in a band made up of Dire Straits alumni called The Straits. The band also consisted of Mickey Feat on bass, Chris White on saxophone, Jaimie Squire on keyboards and vocals, and Terrence Reiss on vocals and guitar.

In July 2015, Ferrone reunited with his AWB bandmates Malcolm "Molly" Duncan and Hamish Stuart to form The 360 Band. This is in essence one half of the classic Average White Band lineup. They released an album titled Three Sixty in 2017 and have been performing live together along with supporting musicians.

In 2018, Ferrone played in the house band at a Porsche 70th anniversary event alongside fellow Heartbreaker Benmont Tench, as well as Ian Astbury, Dhani Harrison, and Brian Bell of Weezer

In 2019, Ferrone recorded session drums for Stroke 9's studio album Calafrio.

On 10 July 2019, Ferrone was inducted into the Brighton Music Walk of Fame in his hometown of Brighton, England.

On 1 Feb 2022, it was announced that Ferrone would be a part of the band for John Mayer's Sob Rock Tour.