Bruce King at a Cotton Club gig, Auckland, 1990s.

For over 65 years, when the phone rang, Bruce King answered the call. It would be about a recording session, a live gig, or a job for radio or television. He would note the date in his diary and, when the time came, pack the tools of his trade into his car. A kick drum, a snare, toms, many cymbals, their stands, and a stool; occasionally, a set of Chinese temple blocks and a cowbell. Always, a set of sticks and brushes.  

King answered that call to record over 10,000 tracks on countless albums, singles, and jingles. He played with rock’n’roll groups, country combos, big swing bands, and cabaret bands; in more than 300 television shows and in radio jazz bands. He provided the beat for royal command performances, and behind Santa at Christmas in the Park.

To keep a track of all this work, King diligently kept a diary. His curriculum vitae is an extraordinary document that seems unthinkable now. 

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Discography

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Musicians and Artists

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TV shows

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