Calvin Rodgers is widely regarded as one of the best gospel drummers of all-time and is credited with revolutionising how the drums are used in gospel music. If that wasn’t enough, he is a prolific and highly sought-after session drummer who has played live and recorded with some of the biggest names in music, including Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, The Isley Brothers, Dionne Warwick, and many, many more. He was also R. Kelly’s drummer for many years. He is also a member of the jazz-fusion supergroup Urban Knights, who have released eight albums, all of which have stormed the US Jazz Charts and seen Rodgers and the Knights work with the legendary likes of Freddie Hubbard and Grover Washington Jr.

Rodgers was born in Chicago into a music-loving family who clocked Rodgers’ natural ability on the drums early. His father, Willie Rodgers, was a well-regarded musician and songwriter on Chicago’s thriving soul scene, and so he would often take his son along to recording sessions, allowing the young boy to get tips from the pros and become immersed in the world that he was to make his name in. Eventually, his drumming came to the attention of 1960s jazz legend Ramsey Lewis, who helped him to get tutoring from some of Chicago’s best jazz drummers. After graduating, he joined the Urban Knights in time for the 1995 debut album.

Rodgers’ main break into the music industry, however, came when met R. Kelly and joined his touring band. After a few years touring the world, however, he felt the call to get back to Chicago and to gospel music, and so he became the musical director for multi-Grammy-nominated singer Fred Hubbard, one of the most popular voices in contemporary gospel music.