Jerry Marotta
A versatile session drummer whose rhythmic backbone powered hits for Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, and the very sound of 80s art-pop.
Born 1956 (age 70)·American drummer·Birthday: February 6·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jerry Marotta's drumming is the subtle, propulsive force behind some of rock's most sophisticated records. Emerging from the creative crucible of Woodstock, New York, he first gained major attention as the rhythmic anchor for Peter Gabriel's early, groundbreaking solo work. His inventive, textured playing on albums like 'Peter Gabriel' (1980) and 'Security' helped define a new, world-influenced art-pop sound. That versatility made him a first-call session musician, laying down grooves for Hall & Oates on 'Private Eyes,' driving the Indigo Girls' 'Closer to Fine,' and collaborating with an astonishingly diverse roster from Elvis Costello to Paul McCartney. More than a technician, Marotta is a musical thinker, known for incorporating unique percussion and electronic elements long before they were commonplace. His career, often in tandem with his brother Rick, embodies the spirit of the studio musician as unsung creative partner, shaping the sonic landscape from behind the kit.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jerry was born in 1956, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jerry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1956
#1 Movie
The Ten Commandments
Best Picture
Around the World in 80 Days
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Jerry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1956Born
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1961Started school
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1969Became a teenager
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1972Could drive
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1974Could vote
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Turned 21
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1986Turned 30
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 40
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 50
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 60
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 70
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was the primary drummer on Peter Gabriel's first four self-titled solo albums, including the hit 'Solsbury Hill'.
- Played drums on Hall & Oates's multi-platinum album 'Private Eyes', including the title track.
- Provided the iconic drum beat for the Indigo Girls' signature song 'Closer to Fine'.
- Performed and recorded with a vast array of artists including Tears for Fears, Sheryl Crow, and 10,000 Maniacs.
- Co-founded the Baked Potato supergroup in Los Angeles with other noted session players.
Did You Know?
He is the younger brother of renowned session drummer Rick Marotta.
He built and operates a recording studio, Jersville Studios, in his Woodstock home.
He played the drum machine-like electronic percussion on Peter Gabriel's 'Shock the Monkey'.
He was a member of the band Orleans in the late 1970s, playing on their hit 'Love Takes Time'.
“My job is to serve the song, not my own technique.”
