KRUPA, GENE

born Jan. 15, 1909, Chicago, Ill., U.S. died Oct. 16, 1973, Yonkers, N.Y. American jazz drummer who won widespread fame during the swing era. Krupa was a respected professional drummer with the early Chicago jazz bands long before he studied drums academically. After working with such pioneers as Eddie Condon and Red Nichols, he joined the Benny Goodman orchestra in 1935, and by brilliant playingrepresented by the recording Sing Sing Singhe became internationally known. From 1938 to 1951 he led a successful band of his own and remained active as a touring soloist, retaining his technically accomplished style and gift for showmanship. He conducted serious studies of the percussion music of African and other cultures. Krupa appeared in numerous films, and he recorded the sound track for his highly fictionalized motion-picture biography, The Gene Krupa Story (1959).