Chad Cromwell (born June 14, 1957) is an American rock drummer whose music career has spanned more than 30 years. He is the founding member of a band called Fortunate Sons, which released a self-titled album in 2004. Cromwell has worked with multiple prominent artists from various genres, including Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Joe Walsh, Joss Stone, Bonnie Raitt, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Early life

Cromwell was born on June 14, 1957, in Paducah, Kentucky. When he was three years old he moved with his parents and siblings to Memphis, Tennessee in 1960. In 1970, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and remained there for the rest of his childhood. He started playing drums at the age of eight, wearing headphones as he played along to records in an upstairs room of his parents' home. By the age of twelve he was playing in garage bands in the local neighborhood.

Career

Cromwell started recording and touring with Joe Walsh in 1986, appearing on two albums, Got Any Gum? and Ordinary Average Guy. In 1987, Cromwell began a collaboration with songwriter Neil Young. The initial sessions became Neil Young & The Bluenotes. Since then he has recorded and toured with Young on several occasions, and appears on albums such as Freedom (1989), Prairie Wind (2005) Living with War (2006) and Chrome Dreams II (2007). He has also appeared in Heart of Gold, a documentary capturing the debut of Neil Young's album, Prairie Wind (along with other Young classics). This was filmed at the Ryman auditorium and directed by Jonathan Demme. Cromwell is also known for his contributions to Mark Knopfler's solo albums Golden Heart (1996), Sailing to Philadelphia (2000), The Ragpicker's Dream (2002) and Shangri-La (2004). He was also part of Knopfler's band during the tours of his first solo albums. Cromwell toured with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young in the summer of 2006. He has also worked with many other artists including Dave Stewart, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Lady Antebellum, Diana Krall, Willie Nelson, Jackson Browne, Boz Scaggs, Wynonna, Trisha Yearwood, Miranda Lambert, Bonnie Raitt, Peter Frampton, Allison Moorer, Chris Knight, Joss Stone, Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, and Stevie Nicks. In the mid-2000s, Cromwell formed the band Fortunate Sons along with Michael Rhodes, Gary Nicholson, Kenny Greenberg, and Reese Wynans. They released a self-titled album in 2004. He is also a member of the occasional touring band, Big Al Anderson and The Balls, led by former NRBQ guitarist Al Anderson. In 2012, he appeared on The Beach Boys' studio album entitled That's Why God Made the Radio. In 2013, he was featured on Bonnie Tyler's album, Rocks and Honey. In 2014, he provided drums on Drake Bell's third studio album, Ready Steady Go!

Personal life

He lives in both Nashville and Los Angeles with his wife, Windy.

Collaborations

With Trace Adkins With Lady Antebellum With Katie Armiger With Sweet Pea Atkinson With Joan Baez With The Beach Boys With Drake Bell With Matraca Berg With Michael Bolton With Joe Bonamassa With Danielle Bradbery With Lee Brice With Kix Brooks With Brooks & Dunn With Pieta Brown With Billy Burnette With Shawn Camp With Mary Chapin Carpenter With Paul Carrack With Jeff Carson With Beth Nielsen Chapman With Steven Curtis Chapman With Kenny Chesney With Terri Clark With Mark Collie With John Cowan With Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young With Rodney Crowell With George Ducas With Ronnie Dunn With Radney Foster With Peter Frampton With Vince Gill With William Lee Golden With Amy Grant With Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell With Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler With Rebecca Lynn Howard With Sonya Isaacs With Jewel With Jamey Johnson With Toby Keith With Charles Kelley With Mark Knopfler With Alison Krauss With Miranda Lambert With Jim Lauderdale With Cyndi Lauper With Kenny Marks With Mac McAnally With Shane McAnally With Pat McLaughlin With Jo Dee Messina With Frankie Miller With John Michael Montgomery With Allison Moorer With Keb' Mo' With Craig Morgan With Willie Nelson With Joe Nichols With Stevie Nicks With Chris Norman With John Oates With Anders Osborne With Jake Owen With Orianthi Panagaris With Lee Roy Parnell With Dolly Parton With Kellie Pickler With Kim Richey With Lionel Richie With LeAnn Rimes With Bob Seger With Blake Shelton With Ashton Shepherd With Jessica Simpson With Joss Stone With Livingston Taylor With Josh Turner With Bonnie Tyler With Roch Voisine With Joe Walsh With Holly Williams With Brian Wilson With Gretchen Wilson With Lee Ann Womack With Chely Wright With Trisha Yearwood With Neil Young With Robin Zander