Richard Thomas Marotta (born January 7, 1948) is an American drummer and percussionist. He has appeared on recordings by leading artists such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Stevie Nicks, Wynonna, Roy Orbison, Todd Rundgren, Roberta Flack, Peter Frampton, Quincy Jones, Jackson Browne, Al Kooper, Waylon Jennings, Randy Newman, Kenny G, The Jacksons, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Boz Scaggs, Warren Zevon, and Linda Ronstadt.[1] He is also a composer who created music for the popular television shows Everybody Loves Raymond and Yes, Dear.

Rick Marotta
Birth nameRichard Thomas Marotta
Born (1948-01-07) January 7, 1948 (age 76)
New York City, New York, U.S.
GenresRock, pop, jazz
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Drums, percussion

Biography

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Marotta was born in New York City and taught himself to play drums at the age of nineteen.[2] He was in a band called The Riverboat Soul Band; it released an album called Mess-up in 1968.

Marotta was the drummer for his own group in the early 1970s, the short-lived Brethren.[3] Tom Cosgrove sang and played lead, Stu Woods played bass, and Mike Garson played keyboards. They released two albums; the first was the eponymous Brethren, which was mildly successful. The second, released as the band was crumbling, is nearly impossible to find. The band had a unique sound, a mixture of rock and country, with traces of jazz and influences from Dr. John, who wrote the album notes and the song "Loop Garoo" for them. Marotta has composed music for the television sitcoms Everybody Loves Raymond and Yes, Dear.[4] He made a guest appearance in the episode "Johnny and the Pace Makers" of the situation comedy Double Rush in 1995.[5]

Marotta's brother, Jerry, is also a noted drummer and percussionist who has recorded and toured with Peter Gabriel.

Selected discography

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With Peter Allen

With Ashford & Simpson

  • So So Satisfied (Warner Bros., 1977)

With Marty Balin

With Karla Bonoff

With Jackson Browne

With Felix Cavaliere

  • Destiny (Bearsville, 1975)

With Toni Childs

With Gene Clark

  • Firebyrd (Takoma, 1984)

With Linda Clifford

  • I'll Keep on Loving You (Capitol, 1982)

With Shawn Colvin

With Randy Crawford

With Jim Croce

With Crosby, Stills & Nash

With Yvonne Elliman

With Skip Ewing

With Bryan Ferry

With Dan Fogelberg

With Aretha Franklin

With Michael Franks

With Dean Friedman

  • Dean Friedman (Lifesong, 1977)

With Art Garfunkel

With Ellie Greenwich

  • Let It Be Written, Let it Be Sung (Verve, 1973)

With Nanci Griffith

With Henry Gross

  • Show Me to the Stage (Lifesong, 1977)
  • Love Is the Stuff (Lifesong, 1978)

With Andrew Gold

With Hall & Oates

With Beth Hart

With Donny Hathaway

With Cissy Houston

With The Jacksons

With Garland Jeffreys

With Rickie Lee Jones

With Wynonna Judd

With Robin Kenyatta

With Chaka Khan

  • Chaka (Warner Bros., 1978)

With Al Kooper

With Labelle

With John Lennon

With Ralph MacDonald

  • Sound of a Drum (Marlin Records, 1976)

With Herbie Mann

With Eric Martin

  • Eric Martin (Capitol, 1985)

With Don McLean

With Van McCoy

  • Love Is the Answer (Avco, 1974)
  • Disco Baby (Avco, 1975)
  • The Disco Kid (Avco, 1975)

With Melanie

With Bette Midler

With Roxy Music

With Randy Newman

With Juice Newton

With Laura Nyro

With The Oak Ridge Boys

With Yoko Ono

With Dolly Parton

With Annette Peacock

With Bonnie Raitt

With Ray Repp

  • Hear the Cryin (Myrrh, 1972)

With Linda Ronstadt

With Diana Ross

With Boz Scaggs

With Janis Siegel

  • At Home (Atlantic, 1987)

With Carly Simon

With Lucy Simon

  • Lucy Simon (RCA Victor, 1975)

With Paul Simon

With Phoebe Snow

With JD Souther

With Steely Dan

With Howard Tate

  • Howard Tate (Atlantic, 1972)

With James Taylor

With Livingston Taylor

With John Tropea

  • Tropea (Video Arts, 1975)
  • Short Trip to Space (Video Arts, 1977)
  • Touch You Again (Video Arts, 1979)

With Frankie Valli

With Joe Walsh

With Larry Weiss

  • Black & Blue Suite (20th Century Records, 1974)

With Paul Williams

With Edgar Winter

With Warren Zevon

References

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  1. ^ Amendola, Billy (1 March 2006). "A Few Minutes With Rick Marotta". Modern Drummer. ISSN 0194-4533.
  2. ^ "Rick Marotta Biography". Drummer Café. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  3. ^ Cerullo, Megan (19 August 2015). "Rick Marotta Is Still Digging the Beat of a Live Show". Vineyard Gazette.
  4. ^ Burlingame, Jon (14 April 2006). "Isham, Rosenthal Honored by ASCAP". The Film Music Society.
  5. ^ tv.com Double Rush "Johnny and the Pacemakers" Episode Cast & Crew Accessed June 5, 2021
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