Dino Danelli

Dino Danelli (born Robert Daniel; July 23, 1944 – December 15, 2022) was an American drummer. Danelli was best known as an original member and the drummer in the rock group the Young Rascals. He has been called "one of the great unappreciated rock drummers in history". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 with the (Young) Rascals.

After the Rascals split up in 1972, Danelli formed the group Bulldog. Soon after, he and former Rascal Gene Cornish formed the band Fotomaker with Wally Bryson of Raspberries. Danelli died on December 15, 2022.

Danelli was born Robert Daniel to father Steven Daniel and mother Teresa Bottinelli in Jersey City, New Jersey, Danelli was a jazz drummer by training. He had played with Lionel Hampton and, by 1961, was playing R&B in New Orleans. He returned to New York in 1962 with a band called Ronnie Speeks & the Elrods. He also worked at times with such legendary performers as Little Willie John.

Danelli met Eddie Brigati (a pickup singer on the local R&B circuit), and Felix Cavaliere (a classically trained pianist) in 1963. Later that year, Danelli and Cavaliere traveled to Las Vegas to try their luck with a casino house band. They remained there until early 1964, but then returned to New York City.

In late 1964, Danelli teamed with Cavaliere, Brigati, and a Canadian-born guitarist named Gene Cornish to form the Young Rascals. Cavaliere and Danelli traveled to Las Vegas in January 1963–1964 to back up singer Sandu Scott and her Scottys, but returned to NYC in February 1964. That month they debuted with the Young Rascals at the Choo Choo Club in Garfield, New Jersey.

Biography summary from English Wikipedia, photograph via Wikimedia Commons.