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Jamie Oldaker - 2010 Inductee
Date of Birth 9/5/1951
Place of Birth Oakland, California
As one of American popular music's most notable drummers for artists such as Eric Clapton,
Bob Seger, Leon Russell, The Gap Band, Peter Frampton, Freddie King, the Tractors, and
Ronnie Dunn, just to get started, Jamie Oldaker's name is synonymous with rock solid
tempos featuring the casual confidence of an extremely gifted guitar player. Born September
5, 1951, in Oakland, California, to parents Dee Dee and Carl Robert Oldaker, Jamie moved
to Tulsa as a child where his father, a former drummer, inspired Jamie to take up the
drums. Along with enjoying the steady marches of John Phillip Sousa, and Benny Goodman's
drummer Gene Krupa as a child, Jamie knew his calling after seeing the Beatles on Ed
Sullivan's variety show, and the young drummer's parents were always supportive and
tolerant of the never-ending line of musicians jamming in the family's household. After
graduating Tulsa Edison High School, Jamie left town for St. Louis to perform with Phil
Driscoll at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel's famed music spot The Basement, leading him to the
Ed Sullivan show where the Beatles had inspired him years earlier.
Via his friendship with Tulsa musicians and friends, Teagarden and Van Winkle, who had
been playing with Bob Seager, Jamie was hired to join Bob Seger's Band to record the album,
Back in 72, including the original version of Seger's classic, "Turn the Page". Upon returning
to Tulsa in about 1973, Oldaker played locally, often with J.J. Cale, who had been signed to
Leon Russells newly formed Shelter Records, which introduced Jamie to Leon who was in
town looking for musicians to record for Shelter. Hired as a session Musician at Selter
Records' home in the famed Church Studio located in Tulsa, Jamie was part of many sessions
for Leon Russell, The Gap Band, along with many other album projects in between touring
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with Leon Russell and the Wilson Brothers. Also during this period Jamie began playing with
his friend Carl Radle, one of rock's legendary bassists, and also an Oklahoma Music Hall of
Fame inductee, who had been playing with Eric Clapton on the Derek and the Domino's
project which produced the hit "Layla". Trying to inspire Clapton to get back into the studio
and on the road again, Carl sent Eric some live recordings Radle had of Jamie playing with
Bob Segar and others. Over a year passed, and just two weeks before Jamie was scheduled
to go on tour with Leon Russell and the GAP Band, he received a call from Carl who said,
"Eris wants to make a record. He said bring Jamie and the other players from Tulsa."
Subsequently, Jamie recorded on Clapton’s 461 Ocean Blvd. which included the hit cover of
Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff", and was the first of eleven albums Oldaker recorded with
Clapton, some of which included Slowhand, There is One in Every Crowd, EC Was Here, and
Backless, starting a twenty-five year friendship with the British blues, rock, pop guitarist
that exists to this present day. Recording with Clapton also began a hectic period in which
Jamie bounced back and forth between Clapton and Seger's band, and in between tours
found time to record two albums with Texas blues giant, Freddie King. As a result of the
Slowhand recordings, Jamie came to the attention of Peter Frampton who hired Jamie
immediately after Clapton's tour ended and went into the studio where they recorded
Framptons Gold Album, Where I should Be, followed by a world tour with Frampton. Along
with recording some mysterious drum tracks for the Bee Gees in the late 70s, Jamie also
recorded with Phil Collins on the Behind the Sun album, precipitating a worldwide television
audience performance with Collins for approximately two billion people as part of the Live
Aid benefit concert, followed a world tour to support Collins album.
Another Oklahoma artist (and OMHOF inductee) who benefitted from Jamie's experience and
talent was Ronnie Dunn, as it was Jamie who entered Dunn into a Marlboro Country Music
Contest whereby Dunn attained national recognition by winning the finals in 1988. Jamie
performed with and managed Dunn during the Marlboro Country Music Tour, recording the
original versions of "Boot Scootin Boogie", and "She’s not the Cheatin' Kind", and "She used to
be mine". Next Oldaker joined former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley for a world tour with metal
acts Iron Maiden, and Alice Cooper, then joined Frampton and Clapton for more touring and
recording in the early 1990s. At Clapton's Royal Albert Hall shows that were recorded for the
album and video 24 Nights, Jamie performed with blues artist Buddy Guy, Jimmy Vaughn,
Albert Collins, Johnny Johnson, and Robert Clay. He followed this up with tours laying down
the rhythm for Stephen Stills, Peter Frampton (again), and English rockabilly artist, Dave
Edmonds. In 1994, Oldaker's founding membership in the Tractors led by friend Steve Ripley
whom he had known since the 1970s during the Shelter Records period, was rewarded with
the group's debut album for Artista selling over 3.5 million albums. Along with winning CMA
Video of the Year, The Tractors also included a GRAMMY nominated hit "Baby Likes to Rock it
(Like a Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train)", Which prominently features Oldaker's rolling drum
work, as did subsequent Tractors releases, Have Yourself a Tractors Christmas, and Farmers
in a Changing World.
In 2005, Jamie produced a super-group album, Mad Dogs & Okies, featuring many of the
friends with whom he has worked with through the years: Eric Clapton, Vince Gill, Tony Joe
White, Willis Alan Ramsey, Taj Mahal, Peter Frampton, Bonnie Bramelett, Ray Benson, JJ
Cale, Willy Nelson, and others who are either from Oklahoma or have been involved or
influenced by Oklahoma music over the years.He is also working on his autobiography, The
Best Seat in the house, and recently was musical director for the PBS/HDNET TV special, The
Outlaw Trail, featuring artists Ray Benson, Rodney Crowell, Carlene Carter, Russel Smith,
Jesse Colter, Joe Ely, Ray Wylie Hubbard and others. Currently residing in San Marcos, Texas
with his wife, Darlene, and dog, Sally (named after Clapton's "Lay Down Sally"). Jamie just
finished a 34 track Texas-based CD, Voices, a benefit album to help raise awareness for
returning American veterans and their families.
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