Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats
Rock'n Roll, Rockabilly Legend Lee Rocker of the Stray Cats
Grammy-nominated STRAY CATS founder and Bass Player Hall of Famer
Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass as a founding member of the Grammy-nominated music group, the STRAY CATS. The Stray Cats sold over 10 million albums, garnered 23 gold and platinum certified records, and were among the early music-video pioneers of MTV. The Stray Cats’ worldwide mega hits, “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut,” and “Sexy and Seventeen” have become a part of the fabric of rock and roll. ‘500 Most-Important songs in Rock history.’
From appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, to headlining the world’s biggest festivals and touring with the Rolling Stones…Lee Rocker has seen and done it all! In addition to his career with The Stray Cats, Lee Rocker has recorded and performed with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, John Fogerty and Carl Perkins. In 1982, Rocker and his father Stanley Drucker (classical clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, under Leonard Bernstein) both received Grammy nominations; this was something that has only occurred twice in the history of the Grammy Awards! In 2012, Lee appeared on Broadway in the hit musical "Million Dollar Quartet.” Rocker has also received numerous honors for his contributions to music and the arts, including being inducted to the Bass Player Hall of Fame, the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and he is a recipient of the Visionary Artist Award by his home city of Laguna Beach, California. In 2021, Rocker was honored to perform at the Library of Congress and at the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden’s Luncheon. Also during 2021, music from his critically acclaimed record “Gather Round” was choreographed and performed as a “rock ballet” by world-renowned New York City dance company “COMPLEXIONS.” And finally, the year 2022 found Lee Rocker included in Bass Player Magazine’s 100 Greatest Bassists of all time – in great company alongside Sir Paul McCartney, John Entwistle, Charles Mingus, Ron Carter and other legends of the instrument.
Lee Rocker has been consistently touring, recording and performing around the globe since 1980 and has cultivated a fanatically loyal following of rockers, rebels and music-lovers of all types. He is known for making his upright double bass appear as if it were a lightweight instrument as he spins, throws it about and stands on it during his high-energy concerts. In concerts, Lee shares behind-the-scenes stories of his epic career in the music business. He ‘rocks every town’ and leaves every audience cheering on their feet!
• Stray Cat Strut – top 10 hit single in 23 countries
• Built for Speed – title track of double platinum record, #2 behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller
• That’s Alright Mama/Blue Moon of Kentucky – Elvis Presley’s first released record
• Honey Don’t – Carl Perkins song & early Beatles hit. Lee toured and recorded extensively with Perkins.
• Sexy and 17 – Stray Cats top 5 hit single
• I’ll Cry Instead – Beatles song. Lee recorded and played live with both George and Ringo!
• Memphis Freeze – a Lee Rocker original!
• Ophelia – by “The Band’s” Levon Helm with whom Lee performed at Midnight Ramble sessions.
• True Love Ways – Buddy Holly ballad and the last song he recorded before his passing
• Bulletproof – another great Lee Rocker song and title track of his popular album
• Rock This Town – Stray Cats mega-hit and one of the 500 most important songs in rock ‘n roll