Derek Pellicci
| Derek Pellicci | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Derek Allan Pellicci |
| Born |
18 February 1953 London, England |
| Genres | Pop music, soft rock |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion |
| Years active | 1968–1997 |
| Labels | Bootleg, EMI, Capitol, MCA, |
| Associated acts | Little River Band, Mississippi |
Derek Allan Pellicci (born 18 February 1953 in London, England) is an English Australian pop music drummer. He is best known as a founding member of Little River Band. Pellicci currently lives in Melbourne with his wife, Anne and son, Joel.
In 1960 Pellicci's family, his father Arthur, mother Jessie and older brother John, emigrated to Melbourne, Australia as "Ten Pound Poms".
In 1964, his older brother John took the then 11-year-old Pellicci to see The Beatles greet their "sea" of fans from the balcony of Melbourne's Southern Cross Hotel. Pellicci said he was spellbound by the experience and it moulded his career path. Shortly after, John bought him a Trixon drum kit which had been traded in at a local car dealer. With his passion for music now fully determined, Pellicci's school attendance took second billing to his beloved drum practice (which entailed playing along with every pop record he could get his hands on!)
After the family moved to King Island, Tasmania in 1966, Pellicci attended the local high school while John and Arthur took jobs at the King Island Scheelite mine. This rural culture shock was magnified by the fact that Pellicci was passionate about music but had to wait up to a month for the latest pop 45s to be freighted over from mainland Victoria.
In 1968 Pellicci returned to Melbourne to pursue his music career in earnest, first with the semi-pro band Recital, then his first professional group Plum.
The break-up of Plum led to stints with various groups: Ash (initially under the name Derek Allen), Arthur & The Argonauts, Island, Blackfeather and New Zealand Highway.
In 1972 Pellicci joined a new band, Mississippi (featuring future Little River Band members, Graeham Goble and Beeb Birtles). Mississippi not only served to develop his studio skills, but also was an orientation into the gruelling road tours that lay ahead. This led to more studio experience, both in recordings with Mississippi and session work in radio jingles and recordings with other artists.
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