WILLIAM ZICKOS — DRUM SET PIONEER
BIO, PHOTO ROLL, DRUM SET COMPOSITIONS
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WILLIAM ZICKOS
First and foremost, William Zickos was a jazz drummer. In addition, he was an accomplished teacher, composer, inventor, businessman, and an incredibly spiritual human being. Born in Fulton, Missouri in 1920, he attended Western Reserve University in the pre-med program. A fateful encounter with Buddy Rich led to him sitting in with Buddy’s band. Afterwards, the praise he received from Rich encouraged him to switch careers from medicine to being adrummer, and he never regretted it. He soon began touring with popular big bands, including those of Ray Anthony, Tommy Dorsey and Vern Byers. But it was while traveling with Stan Kenton and performing his Latin-influenced music that Bill began to see some of the vast potential of drums and percussion ensembles. At the same time, he was studying music with Pete Rugolo, Kenton’s chief composer/arranger who encouraged him in his compositions and to think outside the box, musically speaking. Eventually, Bill settled in the Shawnee Mission area of Kansas City, Kansas and for many years had an active private teaching studio and was a beloved drum teacher to numerous students. |
One of his primary pedagogical tools was having his students play original drum set solos that he composed specifically for them. In addition, he composed works for drum set duets through quintets that were performed by ensembles of his students. These groups and Zickos’ compositions were well known around the region and his students won many top awards at state music competitions. In addition to compositions for drum set solo and drum ensembles, he wrote drum set ensemble concerti that featured drum set soloists with wind band accompaniment. Two of these compositions were the featured centerpiece of a combined half-time performance with two of the Shawnee Mission high schools at a Kansas City Chiefs’ football game in 1968.
William Zickos is considered the father of acrylic drums. He first experimented with clear acrylic drum shells in 1959. He invented, patented, and produced the first clear drum shells along with other innovations in drum set and hardware design. His drums were an instant success and were played by Keith Moon of The Who, Ron Bushy of Iron Butterfly, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, Floyd Sneed of Three Dog Night, Buddy Miles, and many, many others.
William Zickos was one of the earliest pioneers of original concert-style drum set composition. Not content to simply write drum set pieces that featured jazz-ride patterns with improvisation, Zickos composed pieces that explored the nexus of the newly emerging percussion ensembles with an ensemble of drum sets as the main instruments.
Episode 105 of the Drum History Podcast is titled The History of Zickos Drums. It is an interview with Wes Faulconer who knew William Zickos well and shares many stories about Zickos’ inventive techniques of making drum shells and drum hardware.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB-fGZ2NVes
William Zickos is considered the father of acrylic drums. He first experimented with clear acrylic drum shells in 1959. He invented, patented, and produced the first clear drum shells along with other innovations in drum set and hardware design. His drums were an instant success and were played by Keith Moon of The Who, Ron Bushy of Iron Butterfly, Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys, Floyd Sneed of Three Dog Night, Buddy Miles, and many, many others.
William Zickos was one of the earliest pioneers of original concert-style drum set composition. Not content to simply write drum set pieces that featured jazz-ride patterns with improvisation, Zickos composed pieces that explored the nexus of the newly emerging percussion ensembles with an ensemble of drum sets as the main instruments.
Episode 105 of the Drum History Podcast is titled The History of Zickos Drums. It is an interview with Wes Faulconer who knew William Zickos well and shares many stories about Zickos’ inventive techniques of making drum shells and drum hardware.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tB-fGZ2NVes
William Zickos Photo Roll