Bassist Doug Wimbish’s friendship with drummer, producer, writer and recording artist Keith Leblanc extended over 45 years, with the pair first meeting in 1979, when drummer Harold Sargent introduced Leblanc to Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald.
The trio would become the legendary Sugar Hill Records House band for the groundbreaking & legendary label, Sugarhill Records, recording, producing and writing on classic hits such as Sugarhill Gang’s Apache, 8th Wonder and their 1980 self-titled album, Sugarhill Gang; Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s White Lines and The Message; the Funky 4 + 1’s That’s The Joint and more by the likes of the Treacherous 3, the Crash Crew and the Sequence.
Leblanc played live drums on hip-hop songs that gave them a sharp groove, his style evident in Sugar Hill songs at a time when electronic drumming dominated.
When LeBlanc met British producer Adrian Sherwood in the early 1980s, the two teamed up with LeBlanc’s former Sugar Hill collaborators bassist Doug Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald to form the industrial hip-hop band Tackhead, later joined by Rolling Stones vocalist Bernard Fowler.
Together, they churned out dozens of records for the On-U Sound label, including 1988’s Tackhead Tape Time, 1989’s Friendly as a Hand Grenade and the 2014 album For the Love of Money.
LeBlanc, a pioneer in programming drums & sampling, landed his own independent hit in 1983 with No Sell Out, one of the first songs to integrate samples. The track, on which LeBlanc also used synthesizers and a drum machine, hit No. 60 on the UK singles chart. The single, which prominently features Malcolm X’s voice, was dedicated to the late activist, with all proceeds going to his family.
As a drummer/ programmer, Leblanc worked with artists and producers including James Brown, Afrika Bambaataa, Trevor Horn, Arthur Baker, Little Steven, Seal, R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails, the Rolling Stones, Jalal (Last Poets), the Stone Roses, Robert Palmer, Bomb The Bass, Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Bryan Ferry, Depeche Mode and Sinead O’Connor.
It is with great reverence and love for his legendary, departed friend Keith, that Doug is proud to present WimBash - A Celebration of Keith Leblanc, on Friday, November 8th, 2024 at Black Eyed Sally’s in Hartford, CT.
Doug will be joined by Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Raghav Mehrotra, MJT The Band, Organized Chaos, Thaddeus Black (ft. Keith’s son, Chuck Peterson on drums), Jme Starchild, Dave Koltai & special guests in a musical tribute to Keith.
Special thanks for the continued support of the Hartford Firefighters Association Local 760 in presenting this event.