William P. Gottlieb · Public domain

A jazz drummer of such natural speed and power that he never bothered to learn to read music, instead memorizing parts after hearing them once in rehearsal. He came up through the big bands of Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie, and Harry James before serving in the Marines, then led his own orchestras from the 1940s onward, culminating in the Buddy Rich Big Band's lasting success from 1966. His technique, built on the traditional grip, remains a reference point for drummers.