Music
7 things you should know about Chic's Ralph Rolle
We talk Chic & cookies with the renowned drummer ahead of his Conversations appearance at Metropolis
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He's best known these days as the drummer for Chic, but Ralph Rolle has led an incredibly interesting life – from being the in-house drummer for New York's legendary Apollo Theatre to running his production company Phat Kat and his cookie empire (yes, really) Soul Snacks.
Ralph Rolle is part of the Conversations programme at Metropolis, which runs at Dublin's RDS from November 4th - 6th.
Before he joins us on the Conversations bill at Metropolis, we caught up with the New Yorker to chat all things music, his incredible CV and what ambitions he has left to fulfil – and you'll find the 7 most interesting takeaways below.
Ralph Rolle
© [unknown]
1. His older brother is responsible for both his drumming career and his dexterity.
"Howard was actually the drummer in the house and I just followed him – whatever he did, I did. The drums were in our room, between our two beds and I would jump on the drums and play, just to impress him. So I'm left-handed and he's right-handed, and he would tell me 'You can play the drums, but you can't switch them over to the left-hand side - it's just too much'. So I ended up being a left-handed drummer on a right-handed kit. I don't play cross-handed, I play open-handed – and it works out well, it allows me to do a lot with the drums."
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2. The day he played the Apollo Theatre for the first time was one of the most memorable of his life.
"It was one of my dreams to play the Apollo because when I was a kid, my sister would take me there. When I was 10 years old, I saw this incredible singer and at that point, I thought 'This is what I love' – and his name was Michael Jackson. I saw The Jackson 5 on their very first tour and when I walked onto the Apollo stage for the very first time – playing with a Def Jam artist named Chuck Stanley - I almost started crying because I couldn't believe that I was actually there. Then I got called to be in the house band by Buddy Williams, a very famous drummer in America, who needed a sub. He became super-busy – and so I ended up staying at the Apollo for over twenty years (laughs). It's one of the most incredible places to play. So many people started their careers on that stage."
Ralph Rolle
© [unknown]
3. Aside from Chic, he's worked with some incredible artists over the years – and yes, he does have favourites.
"The ones that stick out to me the most? The first time that I played with Nile [Rodgers]. I got called to sub for the drummer, and I did the first show – but I wasn't thinking anything but 'Thank you very much, I really had a great time'. Then they offered me the gig, so that was definitely an amazing moment. Another time that stands out in my mind is when I played with Stevie Wonder on an award show, a tribute to Al Green. There's a few artists in my life that I've always wanted to play for: Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, Paul Simon – and I've been fortunate enough to work with all of them in different capacities. I also had the pleasure, only one time, of backing up Luther Vandross at an awards for Dionne Warwick, and I will never forget that day."
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4. Nile Rodgers really is as sound as everyone says he is.
"At this point, I've had a chance to see Nile at work; I've sat with him just as a guy, talking; I've had a chance to see him with his family, and to see him do business. So I've seen him in many capacities and what I can tell you about Nile is that he's an incredible businessman, he's an amazing creator of music and ideas, he's an extremely sensitive family man and he's also a good friend. He cares, he's thoughtful, he's funny, he's super-intelligent and I recommend everyone to read his book Le Freak. When you get to meet him and get a chance to talk to him, even with all the tragedies and triumphs in his life, he still has a beautiful outlook on the world."
**5. He has a theory on why Chic's rebirth over the past decade has been so successful.
"The show over the last ten years has evolved, with new players and a lead singer who's the most amazing lead singer in the whole world - Kimberly Davis - and she's just brought a whole energy to what we do. The show now is almost like a performance piece and a theatrical event, and a great disco party all rolled into one. Because once we get started and Nile paints a picture of what we're doing, it's just non-stop 'Oh my goodness, I didn't know he did that song' and it keeps rolling til the end of the show. We wanna transform people back to Studio 54, when music was just fun to listen to and have a great time. My job is to make people go crazy."
Ralph Rolle
© [unknown]
6. He owes his love of baking to his grandmother.
"As I was growing up, my late cousin Vincent and I would always be around in Grampy's house, and the best thing for me was waiting on that cake bowl, like all kids do (laughs). I just remember the smell, the process... it was all very intriguing to me. So all of my family, from my brothers and sisters, we all have some form of cooking that we love – and I took on the baking. A girlfriend and I got together, we moved in and decided that we wanted to give away something for the holidays but couldn't afford to give gifts to 36 people. So I said 'Why don't we just make the cookies?'. The first time I made them for my production team, Phat Kat Productions, they looked at me with the strangest face you'd ever see on two guys - but after they tasted them, they were like 'Okay, next time we get together, we're gonna have the cookies here, right?' (laughs) It was a fun thing at first, but everyone seemed to like them – they said 'It'd be a good idea if you guys thought about selling them, because they're really good.' So we put our heads together and started the company, and now we're an international company."
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7. He's achieved a hell of a lot, but there are still some boxes left to tick...
"What I'm trying my best to do as the cookie company grows, I wanna go back to my community again. The ultimate goal for me is to start a drum and bugle corps in New York City. I came from a drum and bugle corps, which is like a marching band, and the one that I was and still am very passionate about was called the New York Lancers, located on Park Avenue in the Bronx. The man that ran the drum corps, Carmelo Saez, passed away a couple of years ago – and he saved tens of thousands of young peoples' lives. It's a necessary activity, it teaches so much, it's fun, it's competitive, it's disciplined – it's what New York City needs, because there's none in New York at this point. So my goal is to start another one, to help the youth."
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