Tom Watkins
| Tom Watkins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sex | M |
| Death date | 1990 |
| Death place | Memphis |
Tom Watkins, usually referred to as Mr. Tom with respect, was a session drummer encountered at Sun Studio in Memphis. Dayna Berkshire and Sandy Beach were cutting an album there when the sound engineer, Walker Rabineau, suggested they needed percussion. Sam Collins, the studio manager, introduced them to Mr. Tom.
Mr. Tom was described as "an ancient, wizened black man" and Sam added "who may be the best old-time blues drummer still alive. He's long retired, but he sets up on the sidewalk in front of his apartment building on nice days when he's bored with TV."HT20
Mr. Tom had played with a wide variety of musicians in his time, starting with work at juke joints and speakeasies in the 1920s. His professionalism allowed him to quickly find the right sound to support a song without overwhelming it. His opinion of Dayna's singing was flattering, "It ain't often that I hear someone that don't bitch the blues. You breathe the blues. I'm honored to work with you, ma'am."
Tom Watkins died of a heart attack less than two weeks after finishing work on Dayna and Sandy's first two albums in the fall of 1990.
