C & C ARTIST
DANNY BANKS
Danny Banks is an American studio/touring drummer based in Memphis, TN. Hailing from Boston, MA, Banks has had a passion for music since age 4. As a boy, Danny’s parents owned and operated a ballroom dance studio. It was there that Danny was immersed in the sounds of Big Band swing, Rhythm n’ Blues, Latin American music: no matter what the genre, his ears were in tune with what was happening. Rhythm was everywhere. Banks later took that rhythmic inspiration and applied it to his mother’s pots and pans.
Danny’s parents quickly saw the spark created, and bought Danny his first snare drum. Not long after that, he got his first full drum set. At the age of 7, Banks was invited to sit in with a band at a local restaurant. That invite turned into his first regular gig. He continued to perform gigs in and around the greater New England area.
In 2005, 11-year-old Danny had the opportunity to be a special guest on the Late Show with David Letterman. Deemed by Letterman as a child prodigy, he had a two segment interview, followed by a performance with Paul Schaffer and the CBS Orchestra playing Muddy Water’s song “I Got My Mojo Working”.
In 2011, Banks went on to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. He was approached by blues/soul singer John Nemeth to join his band, with whom he began touring internationally. When 2013 came around, joining Nemeth’s band eventually led to Danny’s move to the band’s homebase of Memphis, TN. During that same year, John Nemeth released his eighth studio album, Memphis Grease, backed by a band of legendary Memphis soul musicians, The Bo-Keys. When John embarked on a tour to support the album, Danny was hired to be the drum tech for his mentor, legendary drummer Howard Grimes. When Mr. Grimes wan unable to continue, Banks performed in Howard’s place for the remainder of the tour.
In 2019, while on tour in eastern Europe with John Paul Keith, Danny was approached by singer Nicole Atkins about joining her on a summer tour of the Midwest. That tour saw Nicole’s band opening for the band, Lake Street Dive, and performing at times with The Avett Brothers. The tour culminated with a performance at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.
While serving as Nicole’s full-time drummer and collaborator, Danny continues to tour and record with other artists, including Liz Brasher, Dale Watson, Percy Wiggins, Otis Clay, The Bo-Keys, Charlie Musslewhite, Wendy Moten, Spooner Oldham, Norbert Putnam, Honey Boy Edwards, Leroy Hodges, Charles Hodges, Archie "Hubby" Turner, Ronnie Earl, Duke Robillard, John Paul Keith, Adam Scone, Kelvin Holly, Al Gamble, The Tennessee Mass Choir, John Stevens(American Idol), Doug MacLeod, Anson Funderburgh, Michael Ledbetter, Shemeka Copeland, Reba Russell, Will Sexton, Jason D. Williams, Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones, Tony Thomas, David Maxwell, Jerry Phillips, Mark Edgar Stuart, Steve Selvidge, Danny Clinch and many more.
When he is home in Memphis, Danny has two of his own bands that perform around town. LAPD is an instrumental organ quartet who performs soul/jazz in the likes John Patton, Lou Donaldson, etc. His other band, Spank!, is a five piece ensemble that covers the instrumental music of legendary Memphis producer Willie Mitchell.
Danny Banks proudly endorses C&C Drum Co., Bosphorus Cymbals, Vater Drumsticks, Snareweights, SledgePad, BDM Mic Clips.