This day in music history.

August 18, 1973, Gene Krupa played for the last time with members of the original Benny Goodman Quartet. Although his soloing ability was greatly diminished his overall playing sounded more modern than ever. Gene died October 16, 1973 of a heart attack. Gene Krupa was born in 1909 the youngest of nine children. He took up drums at age 11, because they were the cheapest instrument at the music store where he worked. His drum solo on Benny Goodmans song "Sing, Sing, Sing" is considered to be the first extended drum solo in jazz. He quit Benny Goodman to start his own band. The Gene Krupa band had as many as 40 musicians and as few as three at times. In 1927 Krupa was the first kit drummer ever to record using a bass drum pedal. His collaboration with the Zildjan Company produced many of the names and uses of cymbals including the high hat, the crash cymbal, the ride cymbal, the splash and the pang cymbals. Later Krupa innovations included the floor tom and toms with tunable bottom heads. He also wrote a book called "The Gene Krupa Drum Method ". Buddy Rich called him the greatest jazz drummer he ever knew.
"I've had some pretty good luck" - Gene Krupa