Joseph Michael Kramer (born June 21, 1950) is an American drummer and is the drummer for the hard rock band Aerosmith.
Life and career
Kramer was born and raised into a Jewish family. Kramer was born in the Bronx, New York City, the son of Doris and Mickey Kramer, a businessman. His memoir, Hit Hard: A Story of Hitting Rock Bottom at the Top, was released on June 30, 2009. Kramer is credited with originating the name Aerosmith. In his memoir, Kramer revealed that he idly conceived the name Aerosmith while listening to Harry Nilsson’s album Aerial Ballet in 1968, two years before the band was formed. Kramer insists that there is no connection between the name “Aerosmith” and Sinclair Lewis’ novel Arrowsmith. Shortly before joining Aerosmith, Kramer was attending Berklee College of Music and worked with Chubby & the Turnpikes (later to be known as Tavares) alongside Bernie Worrell. He made a guest appearance in the 22nd season of The Simpsons, in the episode “The Ned-Liest Catch”, as a former partner of Bart’s teacher Mrs. Krabappel, as told in the third-season episode Flaming Moe’s, which featured the whole of Aerosmith, the first-ever band to guest star on the show. In 2015, NECA released a “Simpsons-ized” action figure of Kramer, as well as the other members of Aerosmith, as part of the fourth series in the company’s Simpsons 25th Anniversary collectible figure line.
In June 2011, Kramer did a fan Q&A and revealed his open-mindedness to outside writers, stating he does not care about it as long as it’s all five members of Aerosmith playing the material written.
In 2013, Kramer announced his new partnership with Comfort Foods, Inc. who now will roast, package and distribute his whole bean, organic coffee line: Rockin’ & Roastin’ Coffee.
In 2015, he announced a business partnership with Les Otten, the former vice chairman of the Boston Red Sox, to open two Joey Kramer’s Rockin’ & Roastin’ Café and Restaurant locations in Newry, Maine, at the foot of the Sunday River Ski Resort; and North Attleborough, Massachusetts. The North Attleborough location was closed in 2017. The Newry, Maine location closed in 2016.
Aerosmith songs written
The following Aerosmith songs have a writing credit given to Kramer:
- “Pandora’s Box” from Get Your Wings
- “Kings and Queens” from Draw the Line
- “The Hand That Feeds” from Draw The Line
- “The Hop” from Done With Mirrors
- “The Movie” from Permanent Vacation
- “Krawhitham” from Pandora’s Box
- “Beautiful” from Music From Another Dimension!
- “Lover Alot” from Music From Another Dimension!
- “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You” from Music From Another Dimension!
- “Closer” from Music From Another Dimension!
Equipment
Kramer talking to fans at a Q&A before an Aerosmith concert in Chicago, Illinois on June 22, 2012
Kramer currently endorses Pearl drums, Zildjian cymbals and sticks (including his own signature model), plus Remo heads. He has also used many other brands of drums including Ludwig with whom he was closely associated with for much of his career up until switching to Pearl. In the past he has also used sets by Fibes, Tama and DW.
Drums Pearl Crystal Beat series drums:
- 24″x18″ bass drum
- 13″x10″ mounted tom
- 16″x16″ floor tom
- 18″x16″ floor tom
- 14″x6.5″ UltraCast snare
Cymbals: Avedis Zildjian:
- 15″ A Custom rezo hi-hats
- 19″ A Custom projection crash
- 20″ A crash/ride
- 21″ A mega bell bell ride
- 14″ A Custom mastersound hi-hats
- 19″ K Custom hybrid china
Sticks: Zildjian Joey Kramer signature sticks in green dip