Peter Edward (a.k.a. “Ginger”) Baker was born on August 19, 1939 in Lewisham, England.  His nickname was bestowed upon him because of the bright red hair he had as a child.

 

Heavily influenced by jazz music, Baker earned his first professional performance as a drummer at the age of 16.  At that time, his primary influence was British jazz drummer Phil Seaman.

 

Throughout the 1950s, Baker played in a number of jazz and blues bands around England.  His drumming style fluctuated between manic rock and controlled jazz beats.  He was known for improvising lengthy jazz solos, and was also one of the first drummers to utilize two bass drums while playing.

 

Baker joined the band Blues Incorporated in 1962 as a replacement for drummer Cyril Davies.  Here, he met bassist Jack Bruce and organist Graham Bond.  The following year, Baker, Bond, Bruce and saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith formed the Graham Bond Organization.

 

Baker eventually fired Bruce from the band, who went on to join John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.  The Bluesbreakers featured guitarist Eric Clapton, who had at one time played with the Graham Bond Organization.  Soon afterwards, Baker tired of the Graham Bond Organization and approached Clapton to form a group, and Clapton insisted that Bruce be brought along.

 

In 1966, Baker formed Cream with Clapton and Bruce, and the band was signed to Reaction Records.  The group’s live shows were highlighted by Baker’s drum solos, and they released a number of hit singles, including “White Room,” “Strange Brew” and “Sunshine of Your Love.”

 

After Cream split up in 1968, Baker and Clapton went on to form Blind Faith with singer/keyboardist Steve Winwood in 1969.  That group was also short-lived and broke up after less than a year.

 

Following Blind Faith, Baker toured and performed with Ginger Baker’s Air Force, a fusion band he formed with Winwood after the breakup of Blind Faith.  It also featured Graham Bond and Baker’s original idol, Phil Seaman.  The band’s sound was a mixture of jazz, rock, African rhythms, blues and folk.

 

In 1971, after Ginger Baker’s Air Force had disbanded, Baker moved to Nigeria and built a recording studio, where he recorded a number of artists, including Paul McCartney’s band Wings.  Three years later, he formed the Baker-Gurvitz Army Band trio, which lasted until 1977, when Baker briefly faded from the spotlight.

 

Beginning in the late 1980s, Baker performed with a number of classical, jazz and rock ensembles and groups, including Ginger Baker’s Energy, Hawkwind, Atomic Rooster, Public Image Ltd and Masters of Reality.  He has issued numerous solo albums over the years, including Middle Passage and Going Back Home.

Baker continues to record and perform.  In May 2005, the original members of Cream will reunite to play a series of sold-out shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall.