Johnny "Bee" Badanjek

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Johnny "Bee" Badanjek is an American musician, singer, songwriter and painter.

Music career[]

At 16, Badanjek (pronounced:buh-DAN-jek) was the drummer for the Detroit rock and roll band Billy Lee and The Rivieras who later changed their name to Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels. The rock critic Dave Marsh later described him as an "unknown genius" for his drum break on their single "Devil with a Blue Dress On".^[1]

After the group disbanded in 1967, Badanjek toured and recorded with Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, Dr. John, Bob Seger, Ronnie Montrose, Nils Lofgren and others.

In 1972, he co-founded The Rockets, in which he currently is drummer and backing vocalist, as well as songwriter.

Rockets' singles written by Badanjek included "Can't Sleep", "Turn Up the Radio" and "Takin' It Back".

In 1992, he toured Europe with Nils Lofgren and drummed on Lofgren's Rykodisc release, The Crooked Line. He later toured and recorded with The Romantics, and currently working with his new band Broken Toys, writing and demo-ing new material.

Art career[]

Badanjek is also a self-taught painter, having learned by studying other painters and their philosophies. His paintings are in collections around the country^[which?], in galleries^[which?], art fairs^[which?] and events around Detroit^[which?], as well as The Gallery of the Arts Johnny Bee Badanjek Gallery.^[2]

References[]