Michael Clarke (musician)
With his steady, sun-bleached beat, he anchored the Byrds' jangle and helped launch country-rock with the Flying Burrito Brothers.
1946–1993 (age 47)·American rock drummer·Birthday: June 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Michael Clarke got the drumming job with the Byrds largely because he looked the part—tall, blond, and possessing a certain stoic cool. Yet he quickly grew into the role, providing the essential, unflashy backbone for the band's groundbreaking folk-rock hits like 'Mr. Tambourine Man.' His style was straightforward and powerful, a perfect fit for the ringing 12-string guitars. After leaving the Byrds, he became a foundational member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, where his solid rhythms underpinned Gram Parsons' visionary fusion of country and rock. Later, he helped found the soft-rock group Firefall, achieving commercial success in the late 1970s. Clarke's career traced a direct line through three pivotal American rock movements, his drumming a constant, reliable force.
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.
Michael was born in 1946, 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 Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
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
1993Died at 47
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
Key Achievements
- Was the drummer for the Byrds during their peak influence, playing on classic albums like 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and 'Turn! Turn! Turn!'
- A founding member of the pioneering country-rock band the Flying Burrito Brothers.
- Co-founded the successful soft-rock band Firefall, which had several top-40 hits in the late 1970s.
Did You Know?
He was reportedly hired by the Byrds before he could actually play drums well, learning the parts quickly.
Clarke was the only member of the original Byrds who was not a seasoned musician prior to joining.
He was sometimes nicknamed 'Mad Mike' in his early days.
He died of liver failure in 1993 at the age of 47.
“I just kept the beat and tried not to get in the way.”
