User:JohnGnotek/sandbox

At 16, John (Johnny Bee) Badanjek (pronounced:buh-DAN-jek) was the drummer for the Motor City's premier rock and roll band, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. There he hammered out one of the three greatest drum breaks in the history of rock, according to Rolling Stone Magazine (On "Devil With A Blue Dress").

After the group disbanded in 1967, "Bee" toured and recorded with Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Bob Seger, Ronnie Montrose, Nils Lofgren and others, providing the backbeat for some of rock's legendary tracks.

Johnny Bee's preeminent position in the nation's hard rock hall-of-fame was not won with sticks alone -- in 1972, he co-founded The Rockets as a showcase for his songwriting skills. He served in a dual role as drummer/lead vocalist until 1976 -- when they opted for a bluesier voice.

Bee's songs launched the group into national prominence, and proved his ability to score consistently on the nation's pop music charts ("Can't Sleep", "Turn Up the Radio","Takin' It Back").

In 1992, Bee toured Europe with Nils Lofgren and drummed on Nil's Rykodisc release, The Crooked Line. Bee recently toured and recorded with The Romantics and is spending much of his time working with his new band, Broken Toys writing and demo-ing new material.

NOTABLE FACTS • Original/only drummer with Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels - 7 top-40 hits (including "Jenny Take a Ride", "Devil With a Blue Dress On") 4 gold LP's.   • Played/recorded with Alice Cooper - including hit "Welcome To My Nightmare" • Played/recorded with Edgar Winter - including hit "Free Ride" • Played/recorded with Dr. John • Co-founded Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder - hit "Rock & Roll" • Co-founded The Rockets and wrote almost all the material for the 6 releases • Played/recorded with Bruce Springsteen guitarist Nils Lofgren • Played/recorded with Bob Seger • Played/recorded with Ronnie Montrose • Cover picture of, and the first interview in Bruce Springsteen's drummer Max Weinberg's book, "The Big Beat-Conversations with Rock's Great Drummers" • Ludwig Drums endorser - featured in book on the history of Ludwig Drums • Featured on Max Weinberg's 1994 3-CD Rhino release Let There Be Drums • Featured on Dr. John's 1994 Rhino release The Dr. John Anthology • Vic Firth Stick and Sabian Cymbal Endorser

DISCOGRAPHY

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Jenny Take A Ride Dynavoice (gold)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Breakout Dynavoice (gold)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Sock It To Me Dynavoice (gold)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels/ Greatest Hits Dynavoice (gold)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels REV UP!-Greatest Hits Rhino (New CD Compilation - 1990)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Big Wheels Pair (New CD Compilation - 1990)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels The Rockin' Hits Of Special Music (New CD Compilation - 1990)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Take A Ride Sundazed (CD reissue - 1993)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels BREAKOUT...!!! Sundazed (CD reissue - 1993

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Sock It To Me! Sundazed (CD reissue - 1993)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels All Hits! Sundazed (CD reissue - 1994)

Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels Devil With A Blue Dress On Rhino (New CD Compilation - 1995)

The Edgar Winter Group [|They Only Come Out At Night] Epic (Platinum)

Alice Cooper [|Welcome To My Nightmare] Warner Brothers (Platinum)

Dr. John Hollywood Be Thy Name Columbia

Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder Detroit Paramount (CD reissue by MCA 1990)

Albert King Albert King Tomato Records

The Rockets Love Transfusion RCA(CD reissue in Europe by Line Records)

The Rockets Turn Up The Radio RSO (gold)

The Rockets No Ballads RSO (gold)

The Rockets Back Talk Elektra

The Rockets Rocket Roll Elektra

The Rockets Live Rockets Capitol (CD reissue 1990)

Nils Lofgren Code Of The Road / Live (Double Set) Tower Bell - Europe (Platinum Europe)

Movie Soundtrack About Last Night / with Bob Seger Capitol

Ronnie Montrose The Speed Of Sound Enigma/Capitol

Mitch Ryder Red Blood, White Mink Line Records - Europe 1991

Budweiser commercial - 1990 Nils Lofgren Lennon & McCartney Songbook

Connoisseur Collection - Europe Mich Ryder The Beautiful Toulong Sunset Line Records - Europe 1991

Nils Lofgren The Crooked Line Rykodisk - Summer 1992

Jamie James - The Kingbee Cruel World School Kids - 1994

Dr. John The Dr. John Anthology - Mos' Scocious Rhino (2 CD set) - 1994

Max Weinberg Max Weinberg Presents - Let There Be Drums Rhino (3 CD set) - 1994

The Rockets Frat Rock: More Of The 70's Rhino 1995

Mitch Ryder Live At The Logo - Hamburg, Germany Line Records - 1997

Nils Lofgren Code Of The Road - Greatest Hits Live EMI/Capitol - 1997

General Motors Commercial - with special guest Mitch Ryder Dan Yessian Productions - 1997

Broken Toys/WRIF ROCKS COMPILATION WRIF - 1998

Notorious Johnnys/SHOWTIME MOVIE: IN CLEAR VIEW 2 songs - 1998

Broken Toys/SHOWTIME MOVIE: IN CLEAR VIEW 2 songs - 1998

The Rockets/MOTOR CITY'S BURNIN' VOL. II - COMPILATION Total Energy Records - "Saigon Shuffle" - 1998

Broken Toys/JAM RAG CD - COMPILATION Jam Rag Label - 1998

Broken Toys/BEST OF MEMPHIS SMOKE Memphis Smoke Label - 1998

Detroit featuring Mitch Ryder/ COVER YOU: A TRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING STONES Hip-O Records (February 10, 1998 )

Cub Koda and Brownsville Station Live Saginaw Civic Center 1998

Alice Cooper/THE LIFE AND CRIMES OF ALICE COOPER Warner Bros./Rhino - 1999

Mitch Ryder/WAR - COMPILATION Zound Records (Germany) - 1999

The Rockets/BEST OF THE ROCKETS CD Box Set - No Anticipated Release date

The Romantics / 61/49 Web Entertainment - 2003

Starbucks / Pop Hits of the 70's Sony Music - 2003

Jack Lord / Monotony Kills 2004

Dave Edwards / Take Another Look Dazie Records - 2004

Rockets / Back Talk and Rocket Roll Wounded Bird Records - Elektra Entertainment Group - 2005

Car Wash / The Howling Diablo's Alive Records - 2005

Live & On The Prowl / Michael Katon Mascot Records - 2007

Michael Katon Live & Boogie II Wild Ass Records- 2008.

The Howling Diablo's Devine Trash Highway Funky "D" Records-2009.

Dave Edwards Lone Survivor-2009.

Reed & Dickinson Band Tonight We Ride Featuring-Alto Reed, Steve Dickinson, Jim McCarty, Jimmy Bones,Marvin Conrad. The Motor-city Horn's,Mark Pastoria, Ray Minhinnett, Stefanie Eulinberg, Johnny Bee Badanjek, Ty Stone, Beth Griffith-2010.

The Hell Driver's Live From Detroit Recorded LIve at Calahan's Music Hall-2010.

The Candy Band High Five-2010-2010.

Mitch Albom's Christmas Album The Hell Driver's Christmas Day only Happen's once A Year Featuring-Funky Daddy And The Detroit Demolition, Stewart Francke, Dave Edwards, Skeleton Crew, Tim Diaz, Devin Scillian, Jeff Daniels, Quintin Dennard, Larry Lee & Back In The Day-2010.

The Detroit Cobras Buddy Holly Tribute C.D. Featuring- Paul McCartney, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, The Black Keys, Kid Rock, Ce Lo Green, and many others. Concord/Fantasy Records-2011.

Stewart Francke Heartless World-2011.

Jim McCarty & Friends Live from Calahan's Music Hall Featuring Performances with: Jim McCarty, Duke Robillard, Jimmy Thackery, Johnny A, Jason Ricci, John Nemeth, The Millionaires, Johnny Bee Badanjek

Jay Jolley American Ruse-2011.

Ultra Sonic Gas Can The Howling Diablo's, Featuring Hush Carlisle, Sold Out, Funky "D" Records-2012.

American Music Reshearch Fountain Detroit Blues & Beyond NPR Television Featuring- Alberta Admans, Calvin Cooke, Sir Mack Rice, Johnnie Bassett, The Howling Diablo's-2012.A

ART CAREER

Aside of an illustrious music career, Johnny Bee is also a reknown painter. As a new millennium dawned, Badanjek's first love--ART--re-blossomed. Self-taught and learned by lstudying other painters and their philosophies, Badanjek emerged full force into his painting creating dozens of paintings, many of the persons of his life. Johnny Bee's paintings are in collections around the country, in galleries, art fairs and events around Detroit, as well as The Gallery of the Arts Johnny Bee Badanjek Gallery.

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