Greg Errico

Greg Errico (born September 1, 1948) is an American musician and record producer, best known as the drummer for the popular and influential psychedelic soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone.

Background

Errico was born in San Francisco, California. His cousins include saxophonist Jerry Martini and drummer Jan Errico, who was the drummer in two prominent Bay area bands, The Vejtables and The Mojo Men. Errico was the original drummer for the Sly & The Family Stone, and in 1971 he became the first member to quit the group, citing the band's continuing turmoil.

Errico toured with jazz-fusion group Weather Report in 1973, but never recorded with the group. His playing can be heard on live recordings hosted at the website Wolfgang's Vault. Joe Zawinul said that no one could play his tune "Boogie Woogie Waltz" better than Errico had.

Errico joined the David Bowie band for his Diamond Dogs 1974 tour of the US during September 1974.

Errico later collaborated with bands such as Santana, and the Grateful Dead. In the early 1980s, he was the drummer of the Jerry Garcia Band. He also worked with Larry Graham from Sly & The Family Stone, plus members of the Tower of Power horns, Journey and the Pointer Sisters on an album for Betty Davis.

Errico still lives in the Bay Area, and continues to play and produce. One of his recent projects was producing the Jamie Davis big band album. He also played at the 2006 Grammy Awards, in the Sly & the Family Stone tribute, alongside most of his former bandmates. In recent years he has played drums for the reformed Quicksilver Messenger Service.

As a member of Sly and the Family Stone, Errico played at Woodstock, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. He continues to tour, with The Family Stone, alongside fellow founding member of Sly and the Family Stone Jerry Martini (saxophone). This band also included former Sly and the Family Stone member Cynthia Robinson (trumpet) before she died in 2015.

Over his career, Errico has played a variety of drum sets, including Ludwig and Yamaha. He currently plays DW drums and Paiste cymbals.

Discography

• A Whole New Thing – Sly and the Family Stone (1967)
• Dance to the Music – Sly and the Family Stone (1968)
• Life – Sly and the Family Stone (1968)
• Stand! – Sly and the Family Stone (1969)
• Woodstock – various artists (1970)
• There's a Riot Goin' On – Sly and the Family Stone (1971)
• Rolling Thunder – Mickey Hart (1972)
• Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live! – Carlos Santana and Buddy Miles (1972)
• Betty Davis – Betty Davis (1973)
• Monkey Grip – Bill Wyman (1974)
• David Soul – David Soul (1976)
• Lee Oskar – Lee Oskar (1976)
• Stone Alone – Bill Wyman (1976)
• Giants – Giants (1978)
• Before the Rain – Lee Oskar (1978)
• Say It with Silence – Hubert Laws (1978)
• My Road, Our Road – Lee Oskar (1980)
• The Apocalypse Now Sessions – Rhythm Devils (1980)
• Watchfire – Pete Sears (1988)
• Snakes & Stripes – Harvey Mandel (1995)
• Seven – Enuff Z'nuff (1997)
• Red Clay Harvest – Cravin' Melon (1998)
• The Closing of Winterland – Grateful Dead (2003)
• Garcia Live Volume Five – Jerry Garcia Band (2014)
• Cracked Actor (Live Los Angeles '74) - David Bowie (2017)