Will Calhoun
A drummer who fuses thunderous rock power with intricate jazz and world music intellect, providing the complex heartbeat for Living Colour.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American drummer·Birthday: July 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Will Calhoun approaches the drum kit not as a timekeeper, but as a sonic architect. A native of the Bronx, his foundation was laid at the Berklee College of Music, where he absorbed jazz, funk, and African rhythms. This scholarly background made him the perfect rhythmic engine for Living Colour, the groundbreaking rock band known for its technical ferocity and social commentary. Behind the kit, Calhoun is a study in controlled explosion, blending polyrhythmic sophistication with pure rock power on anthems like 'Cult of Personality.' His career extends far beyond the band, encompassing solo projects that explore electronic music and global sounds, and collaborations with artists across the spectrum from jazz legend Wayne Shorter to hip-hop pioneer Mos Def. Calhoun redefines what a rock drummer can be, merging intellect with immense physical 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.
Will was born in 1964, 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 Will Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Will's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
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
1969Started school
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
1977Became a teenager
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
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance with Living Colour for the song 'Cult of Personality'.
- Released multiple solo albums, such as 'Native Lands', that explore world music and electronica.
- Designed his own signature series of drums and cymbals with major manufacturers.
- Composed original music for film and television, including the score for the documentary 'The Peacemaker'.
Did You Know?
He is an avid photographer and has had his work exhibited in galleries.
He studied at the Berklee College of Music on a scholarship.
He is a practitioner of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira.
“The drum is a living, breathing organism, not just a piece of wood with a skin.”
