About Eric
Eric Allen, born 1938 Isle of Sheppey, England, Percussionist and London session musician, is one of the most recorded musicians of his generation:
‘I received my first drum lesson at the age of six. Brought up in North London I studied with percussionist, author, lecturer, and broadcaster James Blades. After 6 years in the Royal Artillery Band, Woolwich, London, I joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra in 1959-1963 and in due course was guest principal in all the major London orchestras. As one of the few London Session Musicians I was able to play my part in the pop music explosion of the ‘sixties and ‘seventies which came to be known as the ‘British Invasion’. The Beatles had arrived along with James Bond and a new wave of music and musicians who took the world by storm.
The ‘sixties and ‘seventies were an important time in the world of popular music. The great songwriters/composers Lennon & McCartney, Les Reed, Burt Bacharach & Hal David and John Barry, performers such as Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and Shirley Bassey along with my colleagues in the rhythm sections were among the leaders who created and generated the sound and feel that sold millions worldwide.
I have been fortunate enough to perform with the leading musicians, conductors and composers of the concert platform, the heavyweights of the film industry along with the great talents in the world of pop and the creative and performing arts.’