Keith LeBlanc, a drummer on several crucial and seminal early hip-hop releases and an influential writer and producer, has passed away at the age of 70.
The news was reported by his record label On-U Sound. The website issued a statement that read, in part, “All of us at On-U Sound are heartbroken to share the news that the great Keith LeBlanc has passed away. An incredible drummer, producer and musical maverick, he will be hugely missed. Rest in power, Keith.”
LeBlanc started playing drums as a child after seeing Ringo Starr on television and began his career as a session drummer for Sugarhill Records in the early 80s.
LeBlanc helped pioneer the early hip-hop sound as a drummer in the Sugarhill House Band alongside bassist Doug Wimbish (Living Colour) and guitarist Skip “Little Axe” McDonald. The three musicians went on to form the industrial-leaning hip-hop group Tackhead, who released four albums from 1987 to 2014.
As a producer and mixer, LeBlanc worked with a number of legendary artists and bands, including Nine Inch Nails, Living Colour, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, and Ministry.
In addition to his own solo releases LeBlanc also served as a drummer and programmer for a host of other famous names, including: R.E.M., The Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer, Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Bryan Ferry, Depeche Mode, and Sinead O’Connor
Additionally, LeBlanc was a major contributor to Nine Inch Nails’ debut album, Pretty Hate Machine, co-producing fan-favorite tracks “Head Like a Hole” and “Down In It,” and engineering or mixing several other songs on the LP.
In a career-spanning 2023 interview with Burning Ambulance, LeBlanc reflected on working with Annie Lennox. He said, “Annie Lennox, she was really cool, too. She’s a real singer. A lot of singers have to punch in things and get Auto-Tuned in, but she would go in the studio, just nail it right there, with the musicians. So there was a lot of collaboration there.”
LeBlanc also reflected on the use of technology in his work. He said, “Oh, I keep up to date, as far as gear goes. I use the latest gear. But I still work the way I worked, you know, 50 years ago. I haven’t changed anything about the way I work. It’s just a lot of things are a lot easier now, and don’t take as much time. But I haven’t changed the way I work.”
