Buddy Rich

Buddy Rich, a child prodigy, was a marvel on the drums. Rich was propelled to stardom in the Swing era while playing with the Artie Shaw and Tommy Dorsey big bands -- where he and Sinatra sometimes came to blows on stage -- before backing just about every Swing and Bop musician of the 1950s. Rich then went on to beat the rock 'n' roll odds by fronting a popular big band from the late '60s until his death in 1987. He even hosted an episode of The Muppet Show.