 VIP,
January 1998
John P. DeChristopher
John DeChristopher has been an outstanding friend to H.E.A.R. over the
years. Thank you, John and Ziljian, for your support of our message to
protect hearing.
Born December 18, 1960, John DeChristopher grew up in Melrose,
Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston and began playing drums at age l l.
By age 14, he joined a group that soon became one the areas most popular
rock bands. After graduating high school, he briefly attended Boston's
Berklee College of Music while his band expanded their horizons into many
major clubs and colleges throughout the Northeast.
In 1979 he began working for Wurlitzer Music where he became Manager of
Percussion, hosting clinics by many of the world's'greatest drummers,
while also making many invaluable industry contacts.
In 1985 at the height of the electronic boom, he relocated to Los Angeles
accepting a position with Simmons Electronic Drums as Artist Relations
Manager and later, Regional Sales Manager. There he developed longstanding
relationships with drumming greats like; Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting), John
"J.R." Robinson (Barbra Streisand), Peter Erskine and Gregg
Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Toto, Andy Summers), to name but a few.
In 1986, he accepted the position of National Sales/Artist Relations Manager
for Drum Workshop, a leading acoustic drum and hardware manufacturer and
remained in Los Angeles until relocating back to the Boston area as D.W.'s
East Coast Sales/A&R office in 1988.
In 1989, John accepted the position of Artist Relations/Promotions Manager
for the Avedis Zildjian Company, the world's leading cymbal maker and
by l 990, he had assumed the marketing responsibilities for the company's
growing drumstick brand. He was responsible for developing many of the
company's best selling drumstick models, while also signing numerous top
drummers to Zildjian Drumsticks such as; Tony Williams, Vinnie Colaiuta
(Sting), Dennis Chambers (Steely Dan), Joey Kramer (Aerosmith), Tim Alexander
(Laundry, formerly Primus), Louie Bellson, Roy Haynes Trilok Gurtu (John
McLaughlin) and Cindy Blackman (Lenny Kravitz) to name but a few.
Today, as Zildjian's Director of Artist Relations & Event Marketing
he is responsible for the company's worldwide Artist Program as well as
all North American clinics and events. He continues to work closely with
the world's leading percussion Artists, attending some l O0 shows per
year and always with his ear plugs. He balances his busy travel schedule
with spending time with his children; John Jr.-lO, and Danielle-8 .
In a recent article in The Boston Globe, John talks openly about the importance
of protecting your hearing. When he takes his children to shows, they
always wear earplugs. John explains, " They understand it's like
a seat belt, that they have to wear them. It's not even an option not
to."
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