Biography

Herbert Edward Lovelle (June 1, 1924 – April 8, 2009) was an American drummer, who played jazz, R&B, rock, and folk. He was also a studio musician and an actor.

He was born in New York City.Lovelle's uncle was the drummer Arthur Herbert. Lovelle began his career with the trumpeter, singer, and band leader Hot Lips Page in the late 1940s, then played in the 1950s with the saxophonist Hal Singer, Johnny Moore's Three Blazers and the pianist Earl Hines. Through working for Lucky Thompson and Jimmy Rushing of Count Basie's Orchestra, he became house drummer at the Savoy Ballroom in New York City for much of the 1950s.He toured with the tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb and the pianist Teddy Wilson in 1954. In 1959, he contributed to the pianist Paul Curry's album, Paul Curry Presents the Friends of Fats, released on Golden Crest Records.

In the early years of television, he performed with the King Guion Orchestra on the Jerry Lester Show and the Ed Sullivan Show. In 1966, he was the lead drummer for Sammy Davis, Jr.'s television show.

Lovelle began playing more R&B in the 1950s and worked as a studio musician, often with Sam Taylor. He played on albums by Bob Dylan (The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan), Pearls Before Swine, Eric Andersen, David Blue, John Denver, Tom Rush, B. B. King, John Martyn (Stormbringer!), the Strangeloves, the McCoys, and the Monkees. He continued working as a studio musician into the 1980s, when acting started to take over his time.In 1976, he produced the first album by Stuff, which went platinum in Japan. He also played the drums in the 1976 revival of Guys and Dolls.

From 1980, he acted in film and television, and his film credits included Bella (2006), Mitchellville (2004) (Sundance), Don't Explain (2002), The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001), Down to Earth (2001), Girlfight (2000), Maximum Risk (1996), Getting Away with Murder (1996), White Lies (1996), Bleeding Hearts (1994), The Paper (1994), Running on Empty (1988), Death Wish III (1985), and A Man Called Adam (1966).

His television credits include Into the Fire (2005), How Do You Spell Belief? (2005), Kingpin Rising (2005), Third Watch (two episodes, 2005), and Law & Order (four episodes, 1995–2004).Lovelle died on April 8, 2009, in New York, at the age of 84.