Sonor Welcomes Aaron Spears

Sonor is thrilled to announce the addition of legendary drummer Aaron Spears to the family of artists.

Aaron’s love for music began in a pentecostal church in Washington DC he went to with his parents as an infant. Music was a big part of the religious service. Seeing and listening to the choir and to the backing musicians really struck a chord with little Aaron. Being a part of that environment, playing and expressing himself through music became a natural desire of his. Fortunately for us, among all the musicians in the church band, the drummer was the one that captivated his attention the most.

Says Thomas Barth, SONOR’s International Artist Relations Manager: „Aaron playing our drums and being a part of the Sonor family is huge for us and beyond exciting. He’s not only an outstanding and super-talented drummer, but also such a humble human being with a big heart which makes him a perfect fit for the artist family. We’re all looking very much forward to this and highly appreciate his trust in the Sonor brand and the people behind!“

Aaron’s development as a musician can be mainly credited to the music he listened and ultimately played along to – which came from his parents personal collection. Gospel artists like The Winans, Commission, The Hawkins, and Hezekiah Walker really opened up his ears to the world of drumming possibilities he had in front of him.

Aaron’s first band experiences were with the church band, and with a band he was a part off during high school. The church band ended up being one of the most important experiences Aaron had as a developing musician. It also helped him secure his first big gig with a local band called the Gideon Band at the age of twenty-three, which also led to his first major break in the summer of 2003.

Gerald Heyward – a big inspiration during his early days but a close friend later on – happened to be listening to some tracks by the Gideon Band in the presence of Valdez Brantley – Usher’s musical director. Valdez got interested in Aaron’s drumming and invited him to audition for Usher’s supporting band, the Funk Rock Orchestra.

Aaron, along with hundreds of other drummers, sent a video of him playing along to some Usher songs for the audition process. Valdez, Usher and the rest of the crew ended up selecting Aaron as the drummer for the world tour. Playing with Usher, and getting called for a second run was the sign Aaron needed to commit to his calling and to his dream. Aaron quit his day job and went on tour with Usher. And the rest, as you all know, is history.

Since joining Usher, Aaron has had the opportunity to play around the world and in some of the most popular televised shows in the United States like Saturday Night Live (SNL), and the 2005 Grammy Awards where he performed “Caught Up” with Usher and “Sex Machine” with “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown. Aaron was also nominated for a Grammy award in 2004 as a music producer, for his work on the tracks “Superstar” and “Confessions (Interlude)” from Usher’s 2004 effort „Confessions“.

In 2006, Aaron won the Modern Drummer Reader’s Poll award for “Best Up and Coming Drummer” and took part in the Gospel Summit at the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival.

Aaron’s long list of touring and recording credits includes: Ariana Grande, Gideon Band, Chrisette Michelle, Chamilionaire, David Cook, Joanne Rosario, Lil Wayne, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Chaka Khan, Adam Lambert, Israel Houghton, Usher, and The Backstreet Boys. Aaron Spears has also worked with Lady Gaga and Italian Superstar Tiziano Ferro, and as a drummer for the American Idol tour.

Says Aaron: “When I replay in my mind the exact moment when I sat behind an SQ2 kit for the first time, all I can do is smile… It was at that exact moment when I realized that I had just found something extremely special… If I close my eyes I swear I can hear and feel exactly what I felt in that showroom… With out a doubt I knew that I was playing some of the most amazing drums on the planet… I was totally impressed with the warmth of the tones, the balance of the attack, and how quickly and effortlessly they tuned up… I just kept shaking my head because I couldn’t believe what I was experiencing… It seemed unreal… My entire life, drums have always been extremely fun for me and I’m thankful for that…Playing the SQ2 kit takes that fun to higher levels for me that I honestly didn’t know was possible… It’s truly an honor for me to be a part of the legendary Sonor family…”

Aaron Spears is joining SONOR’s family of artists which is best known for the highest quality of drummers from many genres. He will be in excellent company with the likes of Steve Smith (Journey), Jack DeJohnette (Jazz Great), Chris Coleman (Beck), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden), Phil Rudd (AC/ DC), Benny Greb (Drumming Great), Tomas Haake (Meshuggah), Jojo Mayer (Nerve), Danny Carey (Tool) to name but a few.

www.sonor.com

By | 2018-08-17T18:01:13+00:00 August 17th, 2018|Categories: News|Comments Off on Sonor Welcomes Aaron Spears
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