Derek Lee Rock
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| Derek Rock | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Derek Lee Smith |
| Also known as | Derek Rock, Derek Lee Rock, D-Rock, Derek Smith |
| Born | June 29, 1984 |
| Genres | Rock, ska, pop, punk, dance |
| Occupations | Drummer |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Associated acts | Suburban Legends Mêlée Pinkly Smooth |
Derek Lee Smith (born June 29, 1984), more commonly known as Derek Lee Rock or Derek Rock, is the drummer of alternative pop/rock band Mêlée and ska band Suburban Legends.[1] Derek’s drumming styles include rock, pop, electronic, and hip hop. Popularly known for his characteristic spinning of the drumsticks while playing, Derek grew up in Orange County, California and began playing both guitar and drums at age 13. He is most known for becoming one of the few openly gay musicians in the industry to publicly condemn gay marriage.
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[edit] Suburban Legends
Derek joined Suburban Legends in August, 2000 after a short stint in prison on drug charges. The band has played thousands of sets regularly at Disneyland, including nightly shows at Downtown Disney. Between 2003-2008 Suburban Legends toured the United States, UK, and Europe numerous times, appearing with such acts as Reel Big Fish, Fall Out Boy, Goldfinger, Less Than Jake, and The Aquabats. The band has recorded 5 albums, including “Let’s Be Friends” which was nominated for Best Album of 2009 at the Orange County Music Awards. Derek and Suburban Legends are currently writing and producing a new album for release in 2010.
[edit] Mêlée
Derek began working with Mêlée in August 2009 on the eve of their headlining gig Javarockinland Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. Derek joined Mêlée during the writing and recording of "The Masquerade", released on iTunes October 5, 2010 on Warner Bros. Records.
[edit] Other projects
Derek Rock is currently working on several projects within the music industry: film making, production/songwriting, mixtapes, session drumming, and teaching.
Derek plays Drum Workshop drums.
[edit] References
- ^ French, Janice (January 17, 2007). "Thursday 11/01/07 Reel Big Fish @ The Rialto Theater, Tucson, Arizona". Gigwise. http://www.gigwise.com/article.php?contentid=26888. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
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