Ralph Angelillo

Ralph Angelillo grew up inspired by Joe Morello. His dad was a bassist for big dance bands in the 1940s and '50s and his four brothers all played music. In 1961, at the age of 17, Ralph purchased his first Ludwig drum set, with money earned working as a busboy in local hotels. While working in the music industry, Ralph established several music magazines across Canada. At that point, he had the idea of putting on a drum festival. This small idea grew into a Canadian tradition! The Montreal Drum Fest ran from 1993 until 2013. A few years later, after moving back to his home-town, he established the Ralph Angelillo International Drum Fest in 2016, held in Quebec each year. During the years of the Montreal event, he was able to not only meet Joe Morello, but became a personal friend.