Todd Sucherman

Last updated
Todd Sucherman
ToddSucherman.JPG
Todd Sucherman performing with Styx on June 13, 2008 in Hinckley, MN
Background information
Birth nameTodd Sucherman
Born (1969-05-02) May 2, 1969 (age 54)
Chicago, Illinois
Genres
Occupation(s) Musician
Instrument(s)
  • Drums
  • percussion
Years active1987–present
Member of
Website www.toddsucherman.com

Todd Sucherman (born May 2, 1969) is an American drummer, who is best known for having been a member of Styx since March 1995.

Contents

Early life

Sucherman grew up in a musical family and followed in his father's footsteps by playing the drums. His father, Arnold J. Sucherman, was a doctor by day and a drummer by night, playing in the house band at the famed Chez Paree in Chicago. His mother, Jo (Seiwert) Sucherman, was an actress in the 1950s and 1960s.

Sucherman started playing drums when he was two years old. When he was six, he had his first paying gig with his brothers under the name "The Sucherman Brothers". The band consisted of Paul on keyboards, Joel on bass, and Todd on drums.

Sucherman attended Niles West High School, [1] and then the Berklee College of Music from September 1987 to May 1988.

Career

In 1988, Sucherman returned to Chicago and quickly established himself as a noted session musician. As an in-demand player for live and session work, Sucherman recorded with Styx in March 1995 when they decided to re-record "Lady", now titled "Lady '95", for their 1995 Greatest Hits album, though he was uncredited. In February 1996 when it came time for the Return to Paradise tour and drummer John Panozzo was unable to perform, Styx asked Sucherman to join them for the tour. After John Panozzo's death on July 16, 1996, Sucherman became a full-time member, appearing on the 1997 live album, Return to Paradise .

In 1998, he helped Tommy Shaw of Styx make his solo album 7 Deadly Zens . [2]

In addition to Styx, he has played with such artists as Brian Wilson, Peter Cetera, Brian Culbertson, The Falling Wallendas, Steve Cole, and Spinal Tap, among others. Sucherman also plays with the band of fellow Styx member Lawrence Gowan. [3]

In September 2008, Sucherman was a featured artist in the prestigious Modern Drummer Festival. He also appeared on the cover of the October 2008 issue of Modern Drummer magazine, and in 2009 Modern Drummer Magazine voted him number one Rock Drummer in the World. In 2020, Modern Drummer readers voted him number one Live drummer. [4] In 2021, Music Radar nominated Sucherman for Best Rock drummer. [5] On September 12, 2020, he contributed a solo drum composition and performance entitled "13 for NP” to the twentieth annual edition of the Modern Drummer festival, which paid tribute to Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, who had died earlier in the year. [6] [7]

On May 2, 2020, Sucherman released his 1st solo album Last Flight Home . [8] The album includes a cover of the song "Kindling" by Elbow. There are official music videos for the songs "Last Flight Home", "Ad Lib Everything", "The Damage", and "Kindling". All videos are available on Sucherman's YouTube channel, as well as the video of "Sacred Book Of Favorite Days" from the Last Flight Home Drumless Play Along Package.

Gear

The gear he currently endorses are Pearl drums, percussion and hardware, Remo Drumheads, Sabian cymbals, Pro-Mark drumsticks, and Audix microphones.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

On November 30, 2013, Sucherman announced via Instagram that he currently resides in Austin, Texas.[ citation needed ]

Discography

Styx

Studio albums

Extended plays

Live albums

Singles and Other Songs

Spinal Tap

Tommy Shaw

Finally George

Solo

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Peart</span> Canadian drummer (1952–2020)

Neil Ellwood Peart OC was a Canadian musician, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame in 1983 at the age of thirty, making him the youngest person ever so honoured. He was known to fans by the nickname 'The Professor'. His drumming was renowned for its technical proficiency and his live performances for their exacting nature and stamina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Styx (band)</span> American rock band

Styx is an American rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1972. They are known for blending melodic hard rock guitar with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre. The band established themselves with a progressive rock sound during the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s.

<i>Cyclorama</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Styx

Cyclorama is the fourteenth studio album by Styx, released in 2003. This was the first studio album with Lawrence Gowan, following the departure of group co-founder Dennis DeYoung in 1999. It was also the latter of two albums to feature Glen Burtnik, and the only album released by the Lawrence Gowan/Tommy Shaw/James "JY" Young/Glen Burtnik/Chuck Panozzo/Todd Sucherman lineup, and as such the only original Styx album to feature four different singer-songwriters as opposed to the usual three. The album peaked significantly higher on the Billboard album charts than Styx's previous release, Brave New World (1999), ending up 48 slots higher at No. 127.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis DeYoung</span> American rock musician

Dennis DeYoung is an American musician. He was a founding member of the rock band Styx and served as its primary lead vocalist and keyboardist from 1972 until 1999. DeYoung was the band's most prolific and successful writer, having been credited as the writer of more Styx songs than any other band member. DeYoung penned seven of the band's eight Billboard top 10 singles as well as a solo top 10 single.

<i>Return to Paradise</i> (Styx album) 1997 live album by Styx

Return to Paradise is the second live album by Styx, released in 1997, and their first album after signing with CMC International. It features songs from their successful reunion tour with Tommy Shaw, but without John Panozzo, who died in July 1996. It includes three new studio tracks, "On My Way," "Paradise," and "Dear John." Shaw wrote the latter as a tribute to Panozzo, while "Paradise" featured upon Dennis DeYoung's solo album and was newly recorded with the band.

<i>Brave New World</i> (Styx album) 1999 studio album by Styx

Brave New World is the thirteenth studio album by Styx, released in 1999. It is the band’s first studio album to feature drummer Todd Sucherman, replacing John Panozzo, who died in 1996 and the last album to feature keyboardist/vocalist Dennis DeYoung. This is the last album that bassist Chuck Panozzo is credited as a full-time member, he would continue with the band as a part-time member. The album peaked at #175 on the Billboard 200 and reached the top 10 on the Top Internet Albums chart. However, its position on the Billboard charts was the lowest from a Styx album of new material since 1973's The Serpent Is Rising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Shaw</span> American musician

Tommy Roland Shaw is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for his tenure in the rock band Styx as co-lead vocalist. In between his stints with Styx, he has played with other groups including Damn Yankees and Shaw Blades as well as releasing several solo albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renegade (Styx song)</span> 1979 hit song recorded by the American rock band Styx

"Renegade" is a 1979 hit song recorded by the American rock band Styx on their Pieces of Eight album. Although songwriter Tommy Shaw and fellow Styx guitarist James Young usually played lead guitar on their own compositions, Shaw asked Young if he could take the solo on "Renegade". Young agreed, and Young later returned the favor by allowing Shaw to play lead on his "Half-Penny, Two-Penny" on the Paradise Theatre album. When performed live from 1978 to 1983, drummer John Panozzo increased the tempo of the drum pattern during the guitar solo sections. Also, the track would serve as the drum solo spot for Panozzo during that time frame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady (Styx song)</span> 1973 song

"Lady" is a 1973 power ballad written and performed by the rock band Styx. It was first released on Styx II and was a local hit in the band's native Chicago, but initially failed to chart nationally. The song gained success shortly after Styx left Wooden Nickel Records to move to A&M Records in 1974 as it began picking up airplay nationwide, eventually peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1975. The power ballad was later re-recorded for the 1995 Styx compilation Greatest Hits due to a contractual dispute between A&M and Wooden Nickel.

John Anthony Panozzo was an American drummer best known for his work with rock band Styx.

<i>Arch Allies: Live at Riverport</i> 2000 live album by Styx and REO Speedwagon

Arch Allies is a live album recorded by REO Speedwagon and Styx at Riverport Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. It was released on September 26, 2000, by Sanctuary Records, and a single DVD was also released on November 7, 2000.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Styx album) Styx album

Greatest Hits is a compilation album and primary Greatest Hits album by the American rock band Styx. It was released by A&M Records on August 22, 1995. It contains 16 tracks, 8 of which were Billboard Top 10 Pop Singles, another 4 that were Billboard Top 40 Pop Singles, and 4 that received heavy airplay on FM album oriented rock stations.

<i>Greatest Hits Part 2</i> 1996 greatest hits album by Styx

Greatest Hits Part 2 is a 1996 compilation album by the rock band Styx and a follow-up to Greatest Hits, another compilation album released in 1995. The album features 14 previously released Styx songs as well as two new songs, "Little Suzie" and "It Takes Love". Major omissions that were not included on either Greatest Hits packages are 2 top 40 charted singles, "Why Me" and "Music Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Too Much Time on My Hands</span> 1981 single by Styx

"Too Much Time on My Hands" is a song by American rock band Styx, released as the second single from their tenth album Paradise Theatre. It was written and sung by Tommy Shaw, who also plays the lead guitar solo during the break in the song. It was Shaw's only top 10 single as a writer and vocalist with Styx.

"Paradise" is the only single release from Styx's 1997 live double album Return to Paradise. The song was originally written and recorded by Dennis DeYoung for his musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The song was re-recorded by Styx for inclusion as one of three new studio tracks on the live album.

<i>One with Everything: Styx and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra</i> 2006 live album by Styx

One with Everything is a live album and concert video by the rock band Styx, which was recorded and professionally filmed in Cleveland, Ohio during their 2006 tour. The band played with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra, playing a set of 16 songs, including three songs from their 2005 studio album Big Bang Theory. Both an album and a DVD were released, with the Blu-ray Disc on April 29, 2009. As with many of the live releases post-Dennis DeYoung, this album does not contain any Dennis DeYoung penned or sung songs.

<i>Styx Yesterday & Today</i> 2001 compilation album by Styx

Styx: Hits from Yesterday and Today: Recorded Live is a compilation album containing songs by the band Styx. It was released in 2001. It takes four songs from Styx's previous studio album, Brave New World and two of the three studio tracks from Styx's previous live double album, Return to Paradise, and combines them with four live tracks from the previously released Arch Allies: Live at Riverport.

<i>Rockers</i> (Styx album) 2003 compilation album by Styx

Rockers is a compilation of songs by the band Styx. It was released in 2003. The album is notable for deliberately omitting any songs for which former member Dennis DeYoung was the primary or sole writer; even DeYoung-penned signature ballad-to-rocker hits such as "Queen of Spades", "Suite Madame Blue", and "Rockin' the Paradise" are missing. It was an attempt by the remaining members of the band to reposition Styx as a hard rock band and move away from the DeYoungian ballads that had marked the last few albums of their career and most of their biggest hit singles.

Founded in 2012, The Big Drum Bonanza is an annual music and drumming educational event in the United States. From 2012 to 2019 the event was hosted by drummer Thomas Lang, and featured drummers, artists and special guests included Virgil Donati, Kenny Aronoff, Chris Coleman, Dave Elitch, Jim Keltner, Stanton Moore, Simon Phillips, Tony Royster Jr., Luis Conte, Matt Garstka, Gergő Borlai, John Tempesta, Luke Holland, Don Lombardi, Chad Wackerman, Derek Roddy, and Gregg Bissonette among other.

<i>Last Flight Home</i> (album) 2020 studio album by Todd Sucherman

Last Flight Home is the debut solo studio album by Todd Sucherman, who has been the drummer for Styx since 1995. It was released on May 2, 2020. There are official videos for "Last Flight Home", "The Damage", "Ad Lib Everything", and "Kindling" available on Todd Sucherman's YouTube channel. The album closer is a cover of the song "Kindling" by Elbow.

References

  1. Niles West High School (1985). Spectrum 1985 - Niles West High School Yearbook. Morton Grove Public Library. Niles West High School.
  2. "Tommy Shaw - 7 Deadly Zens". Heavy Harmonies. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  3. "Lawrence Gowan Talks Styx, Solo Success, Sucherman and the Future - Music Life Magazine". Music Life Magazine. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  4. "2020 Readers Poll Results". Modern Drummer.
  5. "Best in drums 2021". Music Radar. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  6. "20th Annual Modern Drummer Festival featuring A Tribute To Iconic Drummer Neil Peart". Modern Drummer.
  7. "Todd Sucherman- "13 for NP" Modern Drummer Festival Neil Peart Tribute 2020". YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-19.
  8. "Store « Todd Sucherman" . Retrieved 2020-05-02.