Words: Candies Deezy Liu
Photography: Sean Hartgrove
As the drummer of a legendary rock band that forever changed
the face of rock ‘n’ roll, James Kottak has become an iconic figure
in the world of music. As The Scorpions recently celebrated their
fiftieth anniversary, Kottak holds the record as the band’s longeststanding drummer. Formed in 1965, The Scorpions have not
only rocked faces all over the world for decades, they have been
deemed “the heroes of heavy metal” by Rolling Stone, as well
as “Ambassadors of Rock” by MTV. With over 85 million records
sold, 35 platinum and 100 gold awards, and more than 5,000
shows played in over 80 countries, such honorary titles seem
more than appropriate. The German rock band continues to sell
out shows on their current world tour.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Kottak got his first drum set when he
was only nine years old and he was instantly obsessed. By the
time he was fifteen, he was doing his first U.S. tour. James was
first introduced to The Scorpions in 1988 when he was playing
with Kingdom Come at the Monsters of Rock festival. They
remained friends since then and eventually became the drummer
for one his idol bands.
Before joining The Scorpions, James has been in numerous
bands, including his own, Kottak, previously known as KrunK.
Though he is recognized as one of the most iconic drummers
of rock ‘n’ roll, Kottak has always actively connected to various
other elements of music. He was a significant trumpet player in
high school, and also loves to play the guitar, as well as sing.
As a multi-talented icon of music, Kottak represents everything
rock ‘n’ roll...so much so that he has “ROCK & ROLL FOREVER”
tattooed on his back. James’ drum riffs are an ode to long live
rock ‘n’ roll, and generations of rock music enthusiasts look
forward to decades more of The Scorpions continuing to rocking
the world like a hurricane.
Twitter: @JKottak
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