I confess I've never heard of this veteran drummer, and I'm probably not alone. But Jimmy Van Eaton was there when Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis were creating early rock and roll at Sun Records and according to legendary label owner Sam Phillips, he was a one of a kind talent.

“The hardest man to play with in the world was Jerry Lee. I told every musician to stay out of this man’s way,” Phillips told The Commercial Appeal in 2000. “The one exception was JM Van Eaton.”

Jimmy Van Eaton, an early rock ‘n’ roll drummer who played at Sun Records, dies at 86