The world of rock and roll is vast. Even when you get to the field of classic rock, there are many players. A lot of them you know. But for every Robert Plant and Mick Jagger, there are other significant musical contributors—people you may not be so ready to recall.
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These handful of artists are often as important as the headliners they’ve supported but are for whatever reason lesser known today.
[RELATED: The 5 Most Influential Classic Rock Bands of the 1960s]
So, without further ado, let’s dive into this important cast of musical classic rock characters.
1. Mitch Mitchell
The big-haired drummer for Jimi Hendrix and The Jimi Hendrix Experience. You’d have to be some kind of talent to play with the greatest guitar player ever and the British-born Mitch Mitchell was just that. He began as a child actor and then a touring and session drummer. Mitchell is now known for his work backing up Hendrix on classic rock songs like “Foxy Lady.”
2. Gregg Rolie
Gregg Rolie was in Santana and Journey. He is the voice singing on Santana‘s hit song “Black Magic Woman,” though many might have thought it was Carlos himself crooning. But no, it’s Rolie, who had a hand not just in one epic rock outfit but two. Later, Rolie also played in Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band. That’s a remarkable career in classic rock.
3. Ray Manzarek
The keyboard player for the psychedelic classic rock band The Doors. While many might think frontman Jim Morrison was the most important member of the Los Angeles-born group, to true fans, it’s Manzarek with his wicked keys playing and sticky hooks. Morrison got the fame, but it’s Manzarek who deserves a great deal of the credit. He helped write songs like “Touch Me” and “The End.”
4. Brian May
Similar to the Manzarek-Morrison dynamic in the Doors, in the British-born band Queen, Freddie Mercury got the lion’s share of the attention but it’s the band’s electric guitar player Brian May who did a great deal of the work when it came to the group. He helped write songs like “We Will Rock You” and “Fat Bottomed Girls.”
5. Billy Preston
Thank goodness for Billy Preston. The guy who could be considered the fifth Beatle, practically saved the writing session for the Beatles’ final album, Let It Be. In the 2021 documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, fans can see just how instrumental Preston was, coming up with key licks and breathing life into the band when they were at their lowest. During his career, Preston also backed artists like Ray Charles and Sam Cooke. In terms of his work with the Beatles, all you need to know about it is that Preston is one of two non-Mop Tops to get songwriting credit on a song, in his case for the 1969 single “Get Back.”
Photo: Richard Gray / Duck Productions Ltd.
