Rick Marotta


Richard Thomas Marotta is an American drummer and percussionist. He has appeared on recordings by leading artists such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Stevie Nicks, Wynonna, Roy Orbison, Todd Rundgren, Roberta Flack, Peter Frampton, Quincy Jones, Jackson Browne, Al Kooper, Waylon Jennings, Randy Newman, Peter Gabriel, Kenny G, The Jacksons, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Warren Zevon, and Linda Ronstadt. He is also a composer who created music for the popular television shows, ''Everybody Loves Raymond and Yes, Dear.

Biography

Marotta was born in New York City and taught himself to play drums at the age of nineteen. He was in a band called The Riverboat Soul Band, which released an album called Mess-up in 1968.
Marotta spent several years in the early 1970s as the drummer for his own group, the short-lived Brethren. Tom Cosgrove sang and played lead, Stu Woods played bass, and Mike Garson played keyboards. They released two albums; the first was the eponymous Brethren, which was mildly successful. The second, released as the band was crumbling, is almost impossible to find. The band had a unique sound, a mixture of rock and country, with traces of jazz and influences from Dr. John, who wrote the album notes and the song "Loop Garoo" for them.
Marotta has composed music for the television sitcoms, Everybody Loves Raymond and Yes, Dear. His brother, Jerry, is also a noted drummer and percussionist who has recorded and toured with Peter Gabriel.

Selected discography

With Bryan Ferry
With Dolly Parton
With Peter Allen
With Aretha Franklin
With Al Kooper
With Yoko Ono
With Cissy Houston
With Jackson Browne
With J. D. Souther
With Bette Midler
With Garland Jeffreys
With Rickie Lee Jones
With Hall & Oates
With The Jacksons
With Art Garfunkel
With Karla Bonoff
With Wynonna Judd
With Melanie
With Bonnie Raitt
With Laura Nyro
With Robin Kenyatta
With Beth Hart
With Toni Childs
With Randy Crawford
With Nanci Griffith
With Joe Walsh
With Shawn Colvin
With Juice Newton
With Linda Clifford
With Dan Fogelberg
With Livingston Taylor
With Frankie Valli
With Chaka Khan
With John Lennon
With Herbie Mann
With Donny Hathaway
With Yvonne Elliman
  • Yvonne Elliman
With Randy Newman
  • Little Criminals
With Linda Ronstadt
  • Simple Dreams
  • Get Closer
With Roxy Music
  • Avalon
With Carly Simon
  • Hotcakes
  • Spy
  • Come Upstairs
  • Torch
  • Hello Big Man
  • Letters Never Sent
With Boz Scaggs
  • Middle Man
With Paul Simon
With Steely Dan
With James Taylor
  • Walking Man
  • Dad Loves His Work
With John Tropea
  • Tropea
  • Short Trip to Space
  • Touch You Again
With Edgar Winter
  • Jasmine Nightdreams
With Michael Franks
With Warren Zevon'