Dick Cully

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Orange Lazarus

New Member
I just found this crazy old guy named Dick Cully on YouTube. He's kind of a Buddy Rich copycat, but a great Big Band/Swing drummer, nonetheless. BUT! This guy seems totally off his rocker. I wondered why I'd never heard of him before (aside from the fact that he loves a genre of music no one's listened to in 70 years), then I start to see more of his videos, and this guy seems like the most arrogant, bitter, unpleasant dude since...well, Buddy Rich, honestly. He's always pimping some vaguely-described jazz education cult called "Reboot America Musically" (just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?), and he keeps posting about how pissed he is that no one cares. I just can't look away.

Does anyone know anything about this guy, what his story is, or what turned him into such a miserable creature? I'm fascinated...

 
This guy is charging outrageous prices for this stuff like it's a 1990's infomercial. His website even looks like the 1990's. Is anyone still buying his stuff?
 
It's interesting his videos often have him posing with lots of great drummers-implying he knew them well as a promotion. He may have known them to be fair? If he was just a kid now he'd be on YT and some new poster be spamming his videos on here ROFL. I've watched some of his videos which he plays the style but doesn't play or sound like Buddy Rich. I don't know Cully maybe like Buddy but he is no Barrett Deems LOL.
 
Instead of calling out the dozens of companies, organizations, politicians, and schools for not responding to an unsolicited pitch maybe list the ones who are onboard.
And signing your letter the "world's greatest drummer" is not going to sound very credible when sent to the likes of Steve Gadd, Steve Smith, Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr, etc. who maybe know a thing or two about music.
 
The whole Reboot American Music thing just seems......I'm not sure culty is the right word, but it's very conformist in it's name and implied intentions. With that being said, it says it's all about doing after school programs for kids and stuff which seems admirable, but the website is selling tickets for a fundraiser for a high school.....back in 2013.

I mean, the video in the OP was posted a couple years ago, so it looks like maybe the program is still active, but their website is very much outdated, so I'm not sure if it's still an active program, or maybe it's one of those 'wishful thinking' programs where Cully is trying to imply that it's helping millions of kids across America like it says, but hasn't actually been successful at doing anything, and he's just talking out of his ass. I dunno.

The more I think about this guy, the more bizarre everything seems.
 
I'm not seeing the crazy, bitter, twisted part-- is that in another video? I just see an older big band drummer/leader, who is a very old school Hollywood/charismatic type of personality, trying to get funding for an after school music program.

He probably shouldn't be promoting himself as the world's greatest drummer-- that's not true! Otherwise, who cares?
 
^^^ Yeah I only watched a few videos and I don't see where he's some crusty old curmodgeon. I mean, there's a lot of other weird issues and red flags which I've previously pointed out, but he hasn't come across as bitter to me by any means.

I'm part of an online orchestra that has a high percentage of high school and college age musicians, so people who have been in school music programs the past ten years. I've asked them if they've heard of this program, and so far no one has.
 
toddbishop said:
It's just strange/funny for someone to sign up for a drumming forum like SEEKING INFO!!! LOOK AT THIS CRAZY B*ST*RD SICK TWISTED CULTIST! HE'S CRAZY and then it's just some character pitching a school music program.
Click to expand...
"I want to complain about a video YT recommended to me but no one on my instafacetweet cares so I am going to complain to drummers because the guy in the video is one!"
That's my version of the story and I'm sticking to it! ?
 
The guy literally has a video called "Screw Everyone." Some guy compliments his playing in another video, and he says "too bad the industry doesn't feel that way." Y'all don't think he's kind of a chode?

 
"My audience is worthless...." Ouch!
 
I’m not comfortable with the premise of this thread; this isn’t your average introductory thread on the forum... I’ve seen a couple of profanity strewn videos by Dick and have to say I’m concerned about his state of mind? :unsure: Not having a go, it just seems a bit unnecessary to poke fun at and belittle a fellow drummer who appears to be struggling with his life situation. On that basis I won’t play...
 
Yeah, which is why I'm leaning on just feeling sad for him. Judging from those 10 year old videos, he's definitely getting up there in years, and maybe he's just upset and/or bitter about where he ended up. He just wants to live in this idealized past that may or may not have ever existed, and just tried to force it to happen and it didn't work out, which caused a bit of a meltdown. He's a great drummer (assuming he still plays) but I think he just needs to get some perspective and change his approach.
 
*Dick looks out at the clusters of decrepit retirees stoked about hearing Glen Miller again* "I'm a little bit disappointed" - great stage banter, my man!
 
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