Education
Graham turned Epstein down as he was then the drummer for a much more successful band, Joe Brown and The Bruvvers, and so Epstein instead chose Ringo Starr.
Graham turned Epstein down as he was then the drummer for a much more successful band, Joe Brown and The Bruvvers, and so Epstein instead chose Ringo Starr.
Shel Talmy, who produced The Kinks, David Bowie and The Who, described Graham as "the greatest drummer the United Kingdom has ever produced." He left to join work with Joe Brown in 1961. Graham was approached by Brian Epstein when it was decided to remove Pete Best from The Beatles. Graham was a part of the British elite session team (comparable to the American "Wrecking Crew") made up of artists such as Big Jim Sullivan, Vic Flick and Jimmy Page.
Graham played on 13 number one singles, including those by The Dave Clark Five, Englebert Humperdinck, John Leyton, Peter and Gordon, Jackie Trent, The Kinks, Tom Jones and Dusty Springfield, and appeared on a total of 40 United Kingdom top five hits (10 number two hits.
4 number 3 hits; 6 number 4 hits. 7 number five hits; 107 top 50 hits - 1155 days in the charts).
In a discography that counts approximately 15,000 titles, he played on hits by The Animals, John Barry, Shirley Bassey, Joe Cocker, Billy Fury, Herman"s Hermits, Benny Hill, Rod Stewart, Dave Berry, Joe Brown and The Bruvvers, Chubby Checker, Petula Clark, Lulu, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, The Pretty Things, PJ Proby, Van Morrison, Them, The Walker Brothers, and Marianne Faithfull. Graham also toured the United Kingdom as drummer in his own jazz band.
He died of stomach cancer in September 2009 at the Isabel Hospice, Welwyn Garden City.
Born Robert Francis Neate at North Middlesex Hospital, Edmonton, North London, England, Graham became a member of The Outlaws and worked with Joe Meek.
