Brian Keenan

Brian Edmund Peter Keenan (January 28, 1943 – October 5, 1985) was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the Chambers Brothers. Born in New York, he also lived in Conisbrough near Doncaster, Yorkshire, England, and Ireland as a child.

Keenan was part of the Chambers Brothers from 1965 to 1971, and also played with the pre-"Doo Wah Diddy Diddy" Manfred Mann group in England. His own group was the house band at Ondine, the first discotheque in New York City.

He was described by Beat Instrumental in the magazine's May 1969 issue as "the loudest and most ruthless drummer to play with the Brothers".

After playing briefly with Manfred Mann, Keenan returned to New York in the mid-1960s. Prior to joining The Chambers Brothers, Keenan was a member of the Ondine night club house band, The Losers which was formed around 1965. Referred to as a funky blues rock pop band, the group is said to have been made up of Joe Nessor (bass and vocal), Tony Sal (Guitar and vocal), Brian Keenan (drums) and a guitarist possibly called Russell. The group is referred to as Reunion in a Chicago Tribune article. They released a single, "Mersey-ssippi" backed with "Love Me Like the Rain" on Atco 45-6373 in 1965.

In 1966 at age 21, Brian Keenan joined The Chambers Brothers. There was a drummer Mike Konnic who predated him. Konnic appears to have been with the band for a short time. This was around the time the group appeared at the Newport festival, that they had an argument with Konnic. For some reason he wanted to fight with them and his elder brother nearly got involved. According to Joe, he said "We love you man. We want you to play drums."

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.