Marvin Smith

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Marvin "Smitty" Smith (born June 24, 1961) is an American jazz drummer and composer. Smith has been the drummer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno since January 30, 1995.^[1]

[edit] Biography

Marvin Smith was born in Waukegan, Illinois, where his father, Marvin Sr., was a drummer. As a result, "Smitty," as he is called by fellow bandmates, was exposed to drumming at a young age, receiving formal musical training at the age of three.^[2] Smith, an alumnus of Berklee^[3], has recorded 200 albums with various artists, as well as two solo albums.^[1] In addition, he also has toured with Sting, Sonny Rollins and Willie Nelson.^[1] He is a former member of The New York Jazz Quartet^[2], and is in a band with Kevin Eubanks, fellow Berklee alum and Tonight Show band member. Marvin Smith is married to Kimberly Smith of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Smith is often an in-studio guest on The Loose Cannons sports radio program, on Los Angeles' KLAC-AM. He would usually appear whenever the Tonight Show is on a vacation break.

[edit] Trivia

• Smitty either plays a rimshot or taps the bass drum after Tonight Show host Jay Leno tells a joke during the monologue. Smitty is sometimes featured in Tonight Show segments or sketches.

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c} The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Biographies. Retrieved on 3 September 2006.
2. ^ ^{a b} Drummerworld: Marvin Smith. Retrieved on 3 September 2006.
3. ^ Berklee Alumni Website. Retrieved on 3 September 2006.