Corky Laing

While Corky Laing is best known as the powerhouse rock drummer with the group <a href="spotify:artist:7LCp4MN0SOIVWlssid9KyE">Mountain</a>, his career has lasted well past the supergroup where he made his name. Born Laurence Gordon Laing on January 26, 1948 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, he was the youngest in a family of five children. His oldest sister Carol was followed by triplet brothers -- Jeffrey, Leslie, and Stephen -- who called him Gorky, and he was eventually named Corky. In 1961, Laing landed a gig with the famous soul doo wop vocal group <a href="spotify:artist:5bOsFzuJ6QZMr86ezC4oXY">the Ink Spots</a>, but moved into rock & roll with the band Energy, produced by a young Felix Pappalardi. Laing left Energy in 1969, replacing drummer N.D. Smart and joining electric bass guitarist Pappalardi and guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:0ks4E3VJXDIRABtxz2IiBE">Leslie West</a> in <a href="spotify:artist:7LCp4MN0SOIVWlssid9KyE">Mountain</a>, who along with <a href="spotify:artist:74oJ4qxwOZvX6oSsu1DGnw">Cream</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4PI5IHRvANLL76O5gRmGKL">Blue Cheer</a>, became one of the seminal power trios in modern heavy psychedelic rock music. <a href="spotify:artist:7LCp4MN0SOIVWlssid9KyE">Mountain</a> released three albums in two years on the independent Windfall label and produced the mega-hit "Mississippi Queen." But Pappalardi went on hiatus while Laing and <a href="spotify:artist:0ks4E3VJXDIRABtxz2IiBE">West</a> formed, <a href="spotify:artist:7AN8KaXC6UZ18IJzvkUW6i">West, Bruce & Laing</a> with former <a href="spotify:artist:74oJ4qxwOZvX6oSsu1DGnw">Cream</a> bassist/vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:73ndLgs6jSrpZzjyzU9TJV">Jack Bruce</a>, producing two studio albums and a live release for the Epic label. <a href="spotify:artist:7LCp4MN0SOIVWlssid9KyE">Mountain</a> re-formed in 1974, issued two more albums, and broke up again. In late 1975, Laing played congas for several tracks on <a href="spotify:artist:2bmixwMZXlkl2sbIbOfviq">Bo Diddley</a>'s all-star album The 20th Anniversary of Rock N' Roll. <a href="spotify:artist:7LCp4MN0SOIVWlssid9KyE">Mountain</a> again reassembled in 1985 and Laing has sustained a working relationship with them. In 2003, Laing and <a href="spotify:artist:0ks4E3VJXDIRABtxz2IiBE">West</a> produced Nantucket Sleighride & Other Mountain On-The-Road Stories, a historical overview of their time with <a href="spotify:artist:7LCp4MN0SOIVWlssid9KyE">Mountain</a> and tales of touring. 2007 kept Laing busy, recording Stick It, an audio version of his memoirs with Cory Bruyea. <a href="spotify:artist:7LCp4MN0SOIVWlssid9KyE">Mountain</a> also turned out a <a href="spotify:artist:74ASZWbe4lXaubB36ztrGX">Bob Dylan</a> cover album Masters of War. <a href="spotify:artist:0ks4E3VJXDIRABtxz2IiBE">West</a> continued with a solo career throughout, while Laing has collaborated with <a href="spotify:artist:4x1nvY2FN8jxqAFA0DA02H">John Lennon</a>, Bobby Keyes, <a href="spotify:artist:7nkLRaWHImCvWGHdNGnhVE">Ten Years After</a>, David Rea, <a href="spotify:artist:5VGhQcrTSOCL9AWSMEZdPR">Mylon LeFevre</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7dnB1wSxbYa8CejeVg98hz">Meat Loaf</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4N7EfXrDs4KJFXuN2BIuCT">Frank Marino</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3IAM7YLkT7QvJPseQ6f9j7">Mahogany Rush</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5yQ6vKlTCkpsKtBm2qytmA">Cork</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2uqNhcHAzAEwtupvfqFYY4">Eric Schenkman</a> (ex-<a href="spotify:artist:2PSiyldxmJze7xiqbz658m">Spin Doctors</a>) and bassist <a href="spotify:artist:3ltVUR5mzyaLZMoCdo26qT">Noel Redding</a>, formerly of the <a href="spotify:artist:776Uo845nYHJpNaStv1Ds4">Jimi Hendrix Experience</a>. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi