Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie (born June 11, 1939) is an American drummer, and an influential R&B, soul, funk and jazz musician. He is known for his precise time-keeping and his signature use of triplets against a half-time backbeat: the Purdie shuffle. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013.
One of the most recorded drummers in music history, Purdie is said to have played on over 4,000 recordings.
Early life Purdie was born on June 11, 1939, in Elkton, Maryland, the 11th of 15 children. At an early age, he began hitting cans with sticks and learned the elements of drumming techniques from overhearing lessons being given by Leonard Heywood. He later took lessons from Heywood and played in Heywood's big band. Purdie's other influences at that time were Papa Jo Jones, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Joe Marshall, Art Blakey, as well as Cozy Cole, Sticks Evans, Panama Francis, Louis Bellson, and Herbie Lovelle.Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians: Biography. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
Career
Session work and live performances In 1961, he moved from Elkton to New York City. There he played sessions with Mickey and Sylvia and regularly visited the Turf Club on 50th and Broadway, where musicians, agents, and promoters met and touted for business. It was during this period that he played for the saxophonist Buddy Lucas, who nicknamed him 'Mississippi Bigfoot'. Eventually Barney Richmond contracted him to play session work.
Purdie was contracted by arranger Sammy Lowe to play a session with James Brown in 1965 and recording session records also show that Purdie played on "Ain't That A Groove" at the same session. Purdie is credited on James Brown's albums Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud (1969) and Get on the Good Foot (1972).
Purdie recorded Soul Drums (1968) as a band leader and although he went on to record Alexander's Ragtime Band, the album remained unreleased until Soul Drums was reissued on CD in 2009 with the Alexander's Ragtime Band sessions. Other solo albums include Purdie Good! (1971), Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (1972) and the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Lialeh (1973).
Purdie started working with Aretha Franklin as musical director in 1970 and held that position for five years, as well as drumming for Franklin's opening act, saxophonist King Curtis and the King Pins. From March 5 to March 7, 1971, he performed with both bands at the Fillmore West; the resulting live recordings were released as Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971) and King Curtis's Live at Fillmore West (1971). His best known track with Franklin was "Rock Steady", on which he played what he described as "a funky and low down beat". Of his time with Franklin he once commented that "backing her was like floating in seventh heaven".
Purdie was credited on the soundtrack album for the film Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978). In the mid-1990s, he was a member of the 3B's, with Bross Townsend and Bob Cunningham. He was the drummer for the 2009 Broadway revival of Hair and appeared on the associated Broadway cast recording. In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in music by Five Towns College.
On 13 September 2025, Purdie played at Madison Square Garden with Vulfpeck. Introduced by Jack Stratton and helped to the stage by Antwaun Stanley, Purdie then played drums for the song My First Car, showcased the Purdie Shuffle to the crowd, and played drums for a cover of Simply Beautiful.
Encounter records Purdie founded Encounter Records in 1973 and released five albums: Seldon Powell – Messin' With Seldon Powell (with Jimmy Owens, Garnett Brown) Sands of Time – Profile (with Jimmy Owens, Garnett Brown, Seldon Powell) East Coast – East Coast (with Larry Blackmon, Gwen Guthrie, Haras Fyre) Frank Owens – Brown 'N' Serve (with Hugh McCracken)[ Allmusic Brown N Serve review] Harold Vick as "Sir Edward" – The Power of Feeling (with Victor Gaskin) All five studio recordings released under Encounter Records were all released in 1973, which is likely when the label also shut down.
Supposed playing on Beatles records Since around 1967, Purdie has claimed to have over-dubbed or completely re-recorded the drums for 21 songs by the Beatles. This claim has been argued since by Purdie and Beatles fans. Ringo Starr denied these claims, stating "Well then, what was I doing in the studio? I've heard that rubbish before. Everyone was expecting me to come out and fight it. You don't bother fighting that shit."Slagwerkkrant Plus (19 June 2015) Ringo Starr - Het interview! Slagwerkkrant Jim Vallance, a Canadian songwriter and producer, bluntly stated that "to claim that he 'fixed' or 'replaced' Ringo's drums on twenty-one Beatle recordings—or that 'Ringo played on nothing'—is a blatant fabrication. Fiction. A lie."
Personal life In 2023, he moved to New Bern, North Carolina. Purdie has been a resident of New Jersey, living in Edison, Teaneck and Springfield Township.Jordan, Chris. "Drummer Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie has kept the time to your life", Asbury Park Press, October 4, 2013. Accessed October 5, 2013. "Purdie eventually moved to Jersey — Teaneck and Edison before settling in Springfield."
Recognition
Drumming style
Purdie is known as a groove drummer with immaculate timing who makes use of precision half note, backbeats, and grooves. Purdie's signature sixteenth note hi-hat lick pish-ship, pish-ship, pish-ship is distinct. He often employs a straight eight groove sometimes fusing several influences such as swing, blues and funk. He created the now well-known drum pattern Purdie Half-Time Shuffle that is a blues shuffle variation with the addition of syncopated ghost notes on the snare drum. Variations on this shuffle can be heard on songs such as Led Zeppelin's "Fool in the Rain", the Police's "Walking on the Moon", and Toto's "Rosanna" (Rosanna shuffle). Purdie plays the shuffle on Steely Dan's "Babylon Sisters" and "Home At Last".
Achievements On 29 September 2024, Purdie was the recipient of the inaugural "Lifetime Achievement Award" at the UK Drum Show, held in Liverpool.
Discography As leader/co-leader Soul Drums (Columbia, 1967) Purdie Good! (Prestige, 1971) [note: reissued as Legends of Acid Jazz: Bernard Purdie in 1996] Stand by Me (Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get) (Mega Records [in the 'Flying Dutchman Series'], 1972) with the Playboys Soul Is... Pretty Purdie (Flying Dutchman, 1972; reissued on BGP/Ace in 2014) Shaft (Prestige, 1973) recorded 1971 [note: reissued as Legends of Acid Jazz: Bernard Purdie in 1996] Lialeh (Original Movie Soundtrack) (Bryan, 1974) Delights of the Garden (Celluloid, 1975) with the Last Poets Purdie as a Picture (Kilmarnock, 1993) with Galt MacDermot's New Pulse Jazz Band Bernard Purdie's Jazz Groove Sessions in Tokyo (Lexington/West 47th, 1993) Coolin' 'N Groovin' (A Night At 'On-Air') (Lexington/West 47th, 1993) After Hours with the 3B's (3B's Music, 1993) Soothin' 'N Groovin' With the 3B's (3B's Music, 1994) with Houston Person The Hudson River Rats (3B's Music, 1995) Fatback! The Jazz Funk Masters Featuring Bernard Purdie (Seven Seas, 1995) Kick 'N Jazz (Drum Beat Blocks, 1996) Soul to Jazz I (Act, 1996) with the WDR Big Band Soul to Jazz II (Act, 1997) with the WDR Big Band In the Pocket (P-Vine, 1997) Get It While You Can (3B's Music, 1999) with the Hudson River Rats The Masters of Groove Meet Dr. No (Jazzateria, 2001) with Reuben Wilson, Grant Green Jr., Tarus Mateen King of the Beat (3B's Music, 2001) Purdie Good Cookin' (3B's Music, 2003) with Purdie's Powerhouse The Godfathers of Groove (18th & Vine, 2007) with Reuben Wilson, Grant Green Jr., Jerry Jemmott [note: originally released as The Masters of Groove] The Godfathers of Groove 3 (18th & Vine, 2009) with Reuben Wilson, Grant Green Jr., Bill Easley Jersey Blue (Running Rogue, 2009) with Gene McCormick, Jack Hoban Selling It Like It Is (Cadence Jazz, 2009 [rel. 2013]) with David Haney Cool Down (Sugar Road, 2018)
As sideman
Herbie Mann – Our Mann Flute (Atlantic, 1966) Jack McDuff – A Change Is Gonna Come (Atlantic, 1966) Freddie McCoy – Funk Drops (Prestige, 1966) Gábor Szabó – Jazz Raga (Impulse!, 1966) Benny Golson – Tune In, Turn On (Verve, 1967) King Curtis & the Kingpins – Instant Groove (Atco, 1967) Tim Rose – Tim Rose (Columbia, 1967) Ben E. King – What Is Soul (Atco, 1967) Nina Simone – Nina Simone Sings the Blues (RCA Victor, 1967) Phil Upchurch – Feeling Blue (Milestone, 1967) Nina Simone – Silk & Soul (RCA Victor, 1967) Tom Rush – The Circle Game (Elektra, 1968) The Soul Finders – Sweet Soul Music (RCA Camden CAS-2170, 1968) Wilson Pickett – The Midnight Mover (Atlantic, 1968) David "Fathead" Newman – Bigger & Better (Atlantic, 1968) Freddie McCoy – Listen Here (Prestige, 1968) Barbara Lewis – Workin' on a Groovy Thing (Atlantic, 1968) Albert Ayler – New Grass (Impulse!, 1968) Shirley Scott – Soul Song (Atlantic, 1968) Solomon Burke – King Solomon (Atlantic, 1968) Gary McFarland – America the Beautiful: An Account of Its Disappearance (Skye, 1969) Jimmy McGriff – Electric Funk (Blue Note, 1969) Sonny Phillips – Sure 'Nuff (Prestige, 1969) David "Fathead" Newman – The Many Facets of David Newman (Atlantic, 1969) James Brown – Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud (King, 1969) John Lee Hooker – Simply the Truth (BluesWay, 1969) Randy Brecker – Score (Solid State, 1969) Carla Thomas – Memphis Queen (Stax, 1969) Bill Danoff – Reincarnation (ABC, 1970) Al Kooper – You Never Know Who Your Friends Are (Columbia, 1969) Hank Crawford – Mr. Blues Plays Lady Soul (Atlantic, 1969) Gary Burton – Good Vibes (Atlantic, 1969) Shirley Scott – Shirley Scott & the Soul Saxes (Atlantic, 1969) Yusef Lateef – Yusef Lateef's Detroit (Atlantic, 1969) Boogaloo Joe Jones – Boogaloo Joe (Prestige, 1969) Johnny "Hammond" Smith – Soul Talk (Prestige, 1969) Gene Ammons – The Boss Is Back! (Prestige, 1969) Gene Ammons – Brother Jug! (Prestige, 1969) Rusty Bryant – Night Train Now! (Prestige, 1969) Herbie Hancock – Fat Albert Rotunda (Warner Bros., 1969) Dizzy Gillespie – Cornucopia (Solid State, 1969) Johnny "Hammond" Smith – Black Feeling! (Prestige, 1969) Larry Coryell – Coryell (Vanguard, 1969) Sonny Phillips – Black on Black! (Prestige, 1970) Jimmy McGriff & Junior Parker – The Dudes Doin' Business (Capitol, 1970) Johnny "Hammond" Smith – Here It 'Tis (Prestige, 1970) Louis Armstrong − Louis Armstrong and His Friends (Flying Dutchman, 1970) Boogaloo Joe Jones – Right On Brother (Prestige, 1970) Boogaloo Joe Jones – No Way! (Prestige, 1970) James Brown – It's a New Day – Let a Man Come In (King, 1970) The Insect Trust – Hoboken Saturday Night (Atco, 1970) Charles Kynard – Afro-Disiac (Prestige, 1970) Percy Mayfield – Weakness Is a Thing Called Man (RCA Victor, 1970) Five Stairsteps – O-o-h Child (Buddah, 1970) – disputed Charles Kynard – Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People) (Prestige, 1970) Houston Person – Houston Express (Prestige, 1970) Eddie Palmieri – Harlem River Drive (Roulette, 1971) Hank Crawford – It's a Funky Thing to Do (Cotillion, 1971) Boogaloo Joe Jones – What It Is (Prestige, 1971) Eddie Harris & Les McCann – Second Movement (Atlantic, 1971) David "Fathead" Newman – Captain Buckles (Cotillion, 1971) Oliver Nelson – Swiss Suite (Flying Dutchman, 1971) King Curtis – Live at Fillmore West (Atlantic, 1971) Johnny "Hammond" Smith – Wild Horses Rock Steady (Kudu, 1971) Larry Coryell – Fairyland (Flying Dutchman, 1971) Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson – You Can't Make Love Alone (Flying Dutchman, 1971) Herbie Mann – Push Push (Atlantic, 1971) Dizzy Gillespie – The Real Thing (Perception, 1971) Gato Barbieri – El Pampero (Flying Dutchman, 1971) Gil Scott-Heron – Pieces of a Man (Flying Dutchman, 1971) Aretha Franklin – Amazing Grace (Atlantic, 1972) Les McCann – Invitation to Openness (Atlantic, 1972) Hank Crawford – Help Me Make It Through the Night (Kudu, 1972) Aretha Franklin – Young, Gifted and Black (Atlantic, 1972)