YAMAHA DRUM ARTISTS MAKE LATE NIGHT TV APPEARANCES

—?uestlove, Gadd and Schwindt Perform on Yamaha Drum Kits—

BUENA PARK, CA (March 14, 2003)—Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, who recently performed with his hip-hop band The Roots and Eminem on his GRAMMY®-winning song "Lose Yourself," appeared March 4 on NBC's The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, along with special guest Cody ChestnuTT, performing their song "The Seed 2.0." Considered to be one of the most influential hip-hop drummers today, Thompson, who co-founded the GRAMMY®-winning, Philadelphia-based Roots, plays a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute drum kit. The Roots are currently on tour in support of their latest release, Phrenology.

Steve Gadd

Drum legend and Yamaha Artist, Steve Gadd, appeared Tuesday, March 11, on CBS' The Late Show with David Letterman with Paul Simon. Gadd, who has played with an impressive list of performers—James Brown, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, Al Jarreau, and Yamaha Artist Chick Corea—will tour with James Taylor this summer. He can also be seen on Eric Clapton's One More Car, One More Rider DVD and heard on the companion double-CD, both released last year. Whatever the project, Gadd has with him his Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute drum kit.

George Schwindt

Yamaha drum artist George Schwindt with his Los Angeles-based band Flogging Molly played on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live show, Monday, March 17, for St. Patrick's Day. During the same day, Flogging Molly will do a St. Patrick's Day morning show on highly-rated KROQ 106.7 FM with L.A.'s own Kevin & Bean—a live broadcast from the popular Irish pub "The Dubliner" on Sunset Boulevard.

An astounding mixture of traditional Irish music and punk rock, Flogging Molly (self-described as "a Guinness-soaked musical body blow") did the Warped Tour last summer and has a hardcore, loyal following. The band's latest CD, Drunken Lullabies, released last year on Side One Dummy still climbs the charts. Through it all, you'll find Schwindt behind his Yamaha Oak Custom drum kit.

For more information on Yamaha Drums, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Drum Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.