Cleave Anderson

Cleave Anderson
Genres	punk rock, country rock, rockabilly, blues
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1968–present
Associated acts	Blue Rodeo Battered Wives The Viletones Forgotten Rebels Sherry Kean

Cleave Anderson is a Canadian rock, rockabilly, and punk drummer. Anderson has played and recorded with several well-known groups, including Battered Wives,The Viletones, Sherry Kean, Forgotten Rebels, and Blue Rodeo.

While in high school Anderson played drums in bands that performed at frat parties and church drop-in centres. After high school Cleave played around Ontario in cover bands. In 1974 Anderson joined Canada Post as a letter carrier when music failed to pay the bills.

In 1976, after visiting Max's Kansas City and CBGB and seeing the Ramones, Anderson became interested in the new punk movement. Returning to Toronto, Anderson eventually joined Battered Wives one of a few new bands on the scene. The band recorded their debut album and opened for Elvis Costello on his first tour in North America. On leaving Battered Wives he played and recorded with local Punk Rock groups such as Tyranna, Forgotten Rebels and bubblegum punk pioneers the Way Outs.

In 1980 as the first wave of Punk Rock faded, Anderson joined new wave R&B band The Sharks. He would later play with The Shark's bassist Basil Donovan in Blue Rodeo. Around the same time, Anderson also played with blues artists David Wilcox and Colin Linden. Anderson returned to roots music doing gigs with Handsome Ned, who had started playing country and rockabilly in Toronto's Queen St. West artist community.

In 1984 Anderson started rehearsals with Blue Rodeo. Anderson joined the group and is heard on their first two albums, Outskirts and Diamond Mine. Despite Blue Rodeos's success, Anderson left the band in late 1989 to raise a family and return to Canada Post.

...
Wikipedia