Leslie 'Star Drums' Milton - The Voyage (2020)

Born into a loving family on July 20, 1938, the legend began. From his crib, Leslie started bringing rhythms to life by tapping his hands and fingers on everything in sight. As a little boy he beat on pots and pans, tables, tin garbage cans, you name it, since nothing in his fertile imagination went unnoticed. Leslie’s finely tuned ears became his radar antennae, as he grooved to rhythms of the rain and beams of sunshine, gravel crunching beneath his fast-running feet; water running from the tap, rustling of leaves, and cars driving down the street. Every sound in nature became melodies to him. Leslie’s driving passion in life always has been, and forever will be, his music.

At the tender age of 10, Leslie’s parents encouraged his vision and destiny by giving him his first set of drums, and he has never stopped kickin’ and stickin’ it since. His Uncle Ernest ‘The Kid’ Milton, a famous show drummer in his own right, took Leslie under his wing and taught him the fine art of show drumming and showmanship in all genres of music. By age 12, he was playing drums professionally in the famed French Quarter of New Orleans, music capital of the world.
At only 14, he was selected to attend the elite Gateway School of Music. Leslie has traveled far and wide to nuture his destiny…from street corner musician, burlesque halls and night clubs in his native New Orleans, and the juke joints on the Chitlun’ circuit of the south, to the Apollo Theatre in New York (where his signature lives on that famous wall), and the great concert halls of America and Europe. From solo performances to big band orchestras, Leslie has done it all; enhancing and perfecting his craft along the way in his inimitable and dynamic style. To quote one of his favorite mottos…’how do you get to Carnegie Hall?’…practice, practice, practice!
In the early 60’s, Leslie moved to Los Angeles. He sparked an active career in both live gigs and recording sessions with the best in the business…Johnny Otis, Etta James, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Roy Brown, Ike & Tina Turner, Sonny & Cher, Bill Cosby, and others. He worked with Quincy Jones and ‘Bumps’ Blackwell with Mercury Records and played on several national hits, such as The Rivington’s (Papa Ouh Mau Mau), Watt’s 103rd St. Rhythm Band (Spreadin’ Honey), Jackie DeShannon (Put a Little Love in Your Heart), and the beat goes on. Leslie appeared on many T-V shows, including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Ed Sullivan Show, and Johnny Otis’ Big Band Show on Saturday morning.