Rick Donaldson was born and raised in Chicago where he started playing snare drum at age 9 for the Color Guard of W.W. Carter P.S. His aunt recognized his love for music and insisted he transfer to the school where she worked, C. Kozminski P.S., where there was an outstanding music program. Rick thrived.

His aunt also arranged for private tutelage under Reggie Willis where Rick become competent on a variety of instruments from bass to trumpet. In seventh grade touring and arranging horn lines in “Heaven N Hell” a high school band led Rick to free morning tuba lesson from the lunchroom cook, James B, who played tuba for the Chicago Symphony. As it turned out, the room had a drum set - and before long Rick was going to tuba lessons early so he could practice on the drums.

At age 12 Rick bought his first drum set on Christmas Eve for $100, however his mother insisted he return them as there was hardly any food in the fridge and the money was needed elsewhere. Undeterred, Rick landed his first drum gig in church where he played until university. While in high school Rick studied with jazz guitarist 'BeBop' Sam Thomas which is where he learned how to play jazz. After countless hours of woodshedding [practicing], Thomas hired Rick as his drummer.

Rick moved on to study music at Eastern Illinois University, after which he experimented with several genres from funk to jazz to gospel. At age 20 he recorded his first vinyl, Randy’s Blues, with trumpet player Randall Murray. While taking theory lessons at Kennedy King College in 1982, Rick was also studying under drummer Curtis Nutall when he got the opportunity to play drums in the musical “Great Nitty Gritty” featuring Oscar Brown Jr. From there Rick was swinging with The Lee Roland Orchestra, a 22-piece big band of which Rick's fondest memory was performing with jazz great Joe Williams.

After that Rick quit his security job and joined up with four troubadours, all horn players performing in downtown Chicago. This led him on a Canada tour with Otis Clay and the Chicago Fire and brought him to Toronto in 1989, where Rick now calls home. Through troubadouring that year, Rick got a gig pumping the fans at the Rogers Centre, formally known as the Skydome, home of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club. In 1994 he received an endorsement from Zildjian cymbals. Rick fast became known as home-field crowd favorite "The Blue Jays Drummer" and continues to perform to over half a million fans each ball season.

In Toronto, Rick has performed with many of Canada’s finest musicians including Salome Bay, Joe Sealey, Jim Heineman, John T. Davis Quartet, Earl Fisher, Lazo, Melwood Cutlery, Jaboogie, Stacie McGregor, Brandi Disterheft, Ashley Way and the late great Dougie Richardson.

Since 2009, Rick has been on tour with two-time Juno Award winner Jack de Keyzer and joins de Keyzer's blues band as a 2013 Juno Award nominee the for the CD “Electric Love”. When not on tour Rick is a part-time elementary school teacher of music and drama and also offers private drum lessons. Rick continues to manage his own band, Rick Donaldson & the Jazz Cats, now in its eleventh summer as the revered jazz trio setting the mood for Sunday afternoon at Amadeus patio in Toronto. In 2012 Rick produced his own album “Live at Amadeus”.

Discography: Lead Artist: Label:

Electric Love Jack deKeyzer Blue Star Records 2013

LIVE @ AMADEUS Rick Donaldson Everick Music 2012

RH Positive Jim Heineman TIMA TOWN 2011

This is Christmas Shawn Glynn Charkra Records 2006

Glory Man John T. Davis TEEDAVISS Music 2004

Randy’s Blues Randell Murray Sparrow 1982