About Russ Kunkel
Russell Kunkel (born September 27, 1948) is an American drummer who has worked as a session musician with many popular artists, including Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, Harry Chapin, Rita Coolidge, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Cass Elliot, Dan Fogelberg, Glenn Frey, Art Garfunkel, Carole King, Leah Kunkel, Lyle Lovett, Reba McEntire, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Seger, Carly Simon, Stephen Stills, James Taylor, Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Bill Withers, Neil Young, and Warren Zevon. He was the studio and touring drummer for Crosby & Nash in the 1970s and played on all four of their studio albums. == Early life and education == Kunkel was born in Pittsburgh and moved to Long Beach, California when he was 9. There, he was part of an orchestra at the local elementary school. Prior to moving, he was influenced by his brother and the song "Wipe Out" to play drums. He played for approximately six different bands, including the Barons, and appeared at many sock hops and high school dances, playing surf music and Beatles songs. In his last two years of high school he was a jazz drummer and later worked for John Stewart and the Kingston Trio. Kunkel is a 1966 graduate of Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach. == Career == In 1966, Kunkel moved to Los Angeles. He joined the band Things to Come and during the summer of 1968, they performed, for 19 weeks as the opening band, at the Whisky a Go Go, a club on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, while under the alcohol drinking age in California.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.