Feature Photo by Kevin Mocker
Growing up on Long Island, you come to learn a few simple truths — we have the best pizza, the best bagels, and Billy Joel’s music is downright essential.
As a native New Yorker, who grew up and still resides on Long Island, of course, I am a fan of Billy Joel. That said, I am also a drum aficionado. And so, when it comes to the music of Billy Joel, I’ve always loved the hard-hitting yet precise drum work of one Liberty DeVitto.
If you’re a fan of the “classic rock era,” you’ll recall Liberty DeVitto, who is easily one of the single most underrated drummers in the genre’s history. Indeed, anyone who enjoys Billy Joel’s music certainly knows how vital DeVitto was to Billy’s sound. Moreover, since DeVitto departed Billy Joel’s band, the music hasn’t sounded quite the same. Don’t like, indeed, you know it’s true.
So, here’s to Billy Joel and Liberty DeVitto perhaps sharing the stage again one day. In the meantime, Liberty DeVitto dialed in with ClassicRockHisory.com to recount his origins as a drummer, meeting Billy Joel, working with Meat Loaf, what’s next for The Slim Kings, as well as the sublime musicianship of the Lords of 52nd Street.
Catch me up on your latest comings and goings.
I have kept myself busy with sessions. My partner in the band, the Lords of 52nd Street, Richie Cannata, has Cove City Studios, where I am the house drummer. I also wrote two books, Life, Billy, and the Pursuit of Happiness, which is a biography, and Love Santa Clause, a children’s story. But I will admit what kept me the busiest was my daughter Mae! During the pandemic, she was four, five, and now six years old. My wife worked from home, so I was with Mae 24/7. Let me tell you – that is a job [Laughs]. It’s one that comes with a lot of love and patience!
What first got you hooked on the drums, and who were your early influences?
I have always loved music. Dion, the Four Seasons, the Orlons, and the Earls were all big for me. I used to ride my bike and sing at the top of my lungs to all those bands! At one point, my parents bought me a set of drums, and my dad said they bought them because they didn’t make Prozac back then [Laughs]. This was 1962, but it wasn’t until the Beatles were on The Ed Sullivan show that I decided that was what I wanted to do, which was be in a band and travel the world with my friends. I guess I was a dreamer at the tender age of 13 [Laughs].
Going back now, walk me through how you first met Billy Joel.
When I was 17, I was in a band called The New Rock Workshop. We were the house band at a club called My House in Plainview, Long Island. The other house band was The Hassles, which Billy was a member of. Billy and I would exchange greetings as we passed each other in the darkness of the club, and that’s how we met.
Photo: Courtesy of Liberty DeVitto
Your first official record as a member of Billy’s band was Turnstiles in 1976. How did you end up signing on to work with Billy?
I was part of a band called Topper, consisting of myself, Russell Javors, Howard Emerson, and Doug Stegmeyer. Billy was now living in California, and he had some success with Piano Man. He was using studio musicians on the album and a whole different band for the tours, and he wanted to change that. So, Doug was recruited from Topper to play bass with Billy on his Street Life Serenader tour.
So, during that tour, Billy told Doug he was moving back to New York and wanted Doug to come with him. He also said he wanted the same band that recorded with him to go on the road with him and that he wanted a New York-style drummer, which meant hard-hitting and aggressive. Doug looked at Billy and said, “I know a guy…”
That guy was me, and when we went into the studio to record Turnstiles, it was just me, Doug, and Billy. When listening back to the tracks, Billy would say I’d like some guitar on here, etc. We told him that we knew a couple of guitar players, and that’s what we brought in Howard and Russell, and Topper, with the inclusion of Richie Cannata on saxophone, became the Billy Joel Band .
That group seemed to have a unique chemistry. Can you expand on that more for me?
Of course, that band had a special chemistry; we had been playing together for years. We all came from the same area, and we could all relate to the same things. As they say on Long Island, we were “as tight as a crab’s ass,” and that’s waterproof!
As far as live records go, I’d wager that Kohliept is the group’s finest live document. What was it like stepping behind the Iron Curtain for that performance?
I would have to say that our trip to the Soviet Union was one of the greatest highlights of my career. We were the first band to ever do a full production there. What they experienced was what one would experience at Madison Square Garden or any arena in America. The people loved us for coming to play for them, and we, in turn, fell in love with them.
At that moment, I learned that people are people and that music and food break down our differences. I still can’t believe I played my drums behind the Iron Curtain, and my name is Liberty. That’s ironic. I am very proud of what we did, but I actually don’t feel Kohliept fully captured the intensity of that trip. I have to say that I feel Songs in the Attic is better. On that album, you can hear the original Billy Joel Band at its best.
Going in, did you know that River of Dreams would be Billy’s last studio effort? Is it true that you only play on “Shades of Gray” and not the rest of the record?
It never crossed my mind that Billy would ever stop writing songs. He had put together a studio out on Shelter Island, so it was unexpected. No, that’s a rumor. I was involved in recording seven or eight songs for what was supposed to be River of Dreams. I’m only credited for “Shades of Gray” on the final product, though. But I was involved in more than that, and while those songs aren’t out there, they sound more like “Billy Joel” than the actual album you hold in your hand.
Did you agree with the decision to cease making studio records?
Hey, Billy is Billy. We had one of our most successful tours back when everyone said it would bomb without a new album to support. Those people were wrong and are still proven wrong every time Billy sells out the Garden. So, I guess Billy ended up being right.
You continued to tour, and you were with Billy up until 2003. What led to your departure?
It was stupid on both sides. It was a he said, she said kind of thing. We are both hard-headed New Yorkers, and that made all of it worse. Billy should have come to me and asked if what he heard was true, or I should have called him and asked him what had happened. But because we are “fu*k him” kinda guys, we never talked again for fifteen years. I missed the music, but what I missed most was my friend.
I’ve seen Billy in concert several times, and his music isn’t the same without you behind the drum kit. Would you consider a reunion with Billy?
I am very happy and content with my personal and musical life now. But I will say if you want to see the classic power, precision, swagger, and defining characteristics of the music in those old Billy Joel songs as you remember, then you should come and see The Lords Of 52nd Street.
Looking back, what was your favorite Billy Joel record you’ve performed on, and why?
That is difficult to pick. Each album has a different meaning to me. It’s like trying to pick your favorite girlfriend. Turnstiles was my first. The Stranger is when Phil Ramone came into the picture. I love 52nd Street for its jazz influences. Glass Houses was great because there were no studio guys; it was just the band, and so was Songs in the Attic. The Nylon Curtain was me being Ringo, and An Innocent Man was a tribute to the songs of our youth. The Bridge was different because we played with some new musicians, and Storm Front has great songs and some of my best drumming.
Beyond Billy Joel, you performed on Meat Loaf’s 1981 record, Dead Ringer. How did you get the gig with Meat Loaf?
He called me out of the blue. The sessions were great. This was where I met a ton of great players because Meat Loaf had put together a great band. Me, Davey Johnstone from Elton John’s band, Roy Bitten from Springsteen’s band, and Cher!
You’ve also recorded with John Hiatt, Carly Simon, Bob James, Rick Wakeman, Mick Jones, Paul McCartney, and Karen Carpenter. What is your favorite record you’ve performed on outside of your work with Billy Joel?
My problem is I won’t let anything pass if I don’t think I did my best. But playing two tunes with Paul McCartney was a highlight, and the stuff I did with John Hiatt always stood out to me, too.
Tell me about the Slim Kings. How did the band get started? What does the band allow you to do creatively that past projects have not?
Michael called me out of the blue and asked me if I would play on some of his demos. He’s quite an amazing songwriter. A few weeks later, he asked me if I wanted to start a band and be involved in some of the writing and be able to play out. We brought in Andy, and the band, the Slim Kings, was formed. They keep me current. We are all included in writing, and it’s very exciting for me to be doing music from that side of things.
What is the status of The Slim Kings? Is anything new on the horizon?
The Slim Kings took a hard hit during the pandemic. Michael has a studio in his house and also has young children, so we had to stay away. But now that things have lightened up, we have gone back into the studio to create, and we have done some live gigs. It’s always fun playing with those guys.
What drums are you using these days? Do you like vintage instruments or new ones?
I am with a company called Liberty Drums. They are a boutique company based in England. I love the quality and sound of the drums. In the studio, I do use vintage drums because that is the sound that the Slim Kings like. But live with the Lords of 52nd Street; I love my Liberty Drums.
Tell me about your cymbals and hardware, too.
Liberty only specializes in drums. That’s why I believe they sound so good. The hardware I use is Tama because it is solid and can take the constant set up and break down every night. I have been with the Sabian Cymbal company for many, many years. They are quality, and they are great people. I am also with Promark Drumsticks and Evans Drumheads. Both are a part of the D’Addario family of companies.
What’s next for you in all lanes?
I’m going to medical school to become a doctor [Laughs]. Of course, I’m kidding. I would like to live the rest of my life in peace and contentment while beating the drums until I drop!
An Interview with Liberty DeVitto of the Slim Kings & Lords of 52nd Street /Formerly of the Billy Joel Band
By Andrew Daly
Photo: Courtesy of Liberty DeVitto
Liberty DeVitto: The ClassicRockHistory.com Interview article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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