Joe English is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 musician who, during the 1970s, played drums

Drum kit

A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

 in Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...

's band Wings

Wings (band)

Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....

 and in the Southern Rock/Jazz group Sea Level

Sea Level (band)

Sea Level is the name of a fusion group that mixed jazz, blues and rock. It existed between 1976 and 1981. Initially, it was an offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band, but as tensions grew between the loss of two of its founding members, and personal greivances between Gregg Allman and other...

, among others.

A native of Rochester, New York

Rochester, New York

Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

, Joe English was a member of Jam Factory, a band based in Syracuse

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

, that evolved into the Tall Dogs Orchestra of Macon, Georgia

Macon, Georgia

Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...

. Searching for an opportunity to expand his talent, he answered an ad for a drummer. The address led him to the basement of an old building where, much to his surprise, he found himself face to face with Paul McCartney. The audition was for Wings, and English got the job. His first album with Wings was Venus and Mars

Venus and Mars

Venus and Mars is the fourth album by Wings. Released as the follow-up to the enormously successful Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' string of success and would prove a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour...

and, one album later, he would even take the lead vocals for the song, "Must Do Something About It

Must Do Something About It

"Must Do Something About It" is a song credited to Paul and Linda McCartney that first appeared on the Wings 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound. The lead vocal was sung by Wings drummer Joe English rather than by McCartney, the only Wings song on which English was the lead vocalist...

" from Wings at the Speed of Sound

Wings at the Speed of Sound

Wings at the Speed of Sound is the fifth album by Wings and was recorded and issued in 1976 in the midst of a large world tour as the follow-up album to the popular Venus and Mars.- History :...

. He was the drummer on the Wings Over the World

Wings Over the World tour

In 1975 and 1976, Wings embarked on the ambitious Wings Over the World tour.-History:In contrast to Wings' two low-profile, smaller-scale outings of 1972, this was a major, highly publicised concert tour that took place mostly in arenas...

 tour.

In September 1977, during the recording sessions for London Town, English became homesick and returned to Macon, Georgia, where he began playing with Chuck Leavell

Chuck Leavell

Chuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...

's band Sea Level.

Following his Christian salvation experience, he formed the Joe English Band, performing as lead singer and drummer

Drummer

A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

. The band toured the world, playing with other major Christian

Christian rock

Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...

 bands of the era, including Petra

Petra (band)

Petra is a music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock"...

, DeGarmo & Key, Mylon LeFevre

Mylon LeFevre

Mylon LeFevre is an American Christian music singer, who was the leader of the Grammy Award-winning band Mylon and Broken Heart. He is a member of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame. He currently travels around the United States, ministering, teaching and singing...

 and Servant

Servant (band)

Servant was a Christian rock group that grew out of the counter-culture Jesus Movement of the sixties and seventies. The band was founded in Victoria, British Columbia in 1976 by Jim Palosaari and performed to audiences throughout North America, Europe and Australia for over 12 years. Originally...

. The Joe English Band recorded a release without Joe's vocals called AKA Forerunner. The band included John Lawry

John Lawry

John Lawry is a Christian musician, composer, producer, and songwriter. He is most remembered for being the keyboardist of Christian rock band Petra during their most prolific years.-Biography:...

, who left to play for Petra in 1984. In 1986, Joe English played in former Petra vocalist Greg X. Volz

Greg X. Volz

Gregory Xavier Volz is a Christian singer. He is most noted for being the former lead singer of Christian rock band Petra from 1979 to 1985 and is currently the lead vocalist of the reunited lineup.-Biography:...

's band, Pieces of Eight. In the late 1980s, English joined Randy Stonehill

Randy Stonehill

Randall Evan "Randy" Stonehill is an American singer-songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on...

, Phil Keaggy

Phil Keaggy

Phil Keaggy is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 50 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets...

, Rick Cua and others as part of the Compassion All Star Band

Compassion International

Compassion International is a Christian child sponsorship organization dedicated to the long-term development of children living in poverty around the world. Compassion International, headquartered in Colorado Springs, functions in 26 countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Haiti, Kenya, and...

. In 1988, the band recorded live One by One, their only album together.

English played the snare with his right hand and the hi-hat and ride cymbals with his left, a technique commonly termed "open handed". He has been unable to play drums professionally since the late 1990s, due to chronic ankle health issues.

As of 2008, English lives in Spindale

Spindale, North Carolina

Spindale is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,022 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Spindale is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

, North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 being a member a
Word Of Faith Fellowship community. He is no longer involved in the music industry. However, he maintains his interest in music as a member of the choir at WOFF.

Discography

With Paul McCartney & Wings

• Venus and Mars
  Venus and Mars
  Venus and Mars is the fourth album by Wings. Released as the follow-up to the enormously successful Band on the Run, Venus and Mars continued Wings' string of success and would prove a springboard for a year-long worldwide tour...
  
  (1975)
• Wings at the Speed of Sound
  Wings at the Speed of Sound
  Wings at the Speed of Sound is the fifth album by Wings and was recorded and issued in 1976 in the midst of a large world tour as the follow-up album to the popular Venus and Mars.- History :...
  
  (1976)
• Wings over America
  Wings over America
  Wings over America is the sixth album by Wings and their only live album. In its initial release, it was a triple album and included a poster of the band.-Recording history:...
  
  (1976)
• London Town (1978)

With Kingfish

Kingfish (band)

Kingfish is an American rock band led by Matthew Kelly, a musician, singer, and songwriter who plays guitar and harmonica. Kelly co-founded Kingfish in 1973 with New Riders of the Purple Sage bass player Dave Torbert and fellow San Francisco Bay Area musicians Robbie Hoddinott, Chris Herold, and...

• Trident
  Trident (Kingfish album)
  Trident is an album by the rock band Kingfish. Their second studio album and their third album overall, it was recorded at the Record Plant in Sausalito, California, and released by Jet Records in 1978....
  
  (1978)

With Sea Level

Sea Level (band)

Sea Level is the name of a fusion group that mixed jazz, blues and rock. It existed between 1976 and 1981. Initially, it was an offshoot of The Allman Brothers Band, but as tensions grew between the loss of two of its founding members, and personal greivances between Gregg Allman and other...

• On the Edge (1978)
• Long Walk on a Short Pier (1979)
• Ballroom (1980)

With Joe English Band

• Lights in the World (1980)
• Held Accountable (1982)
• Press On (1983)
• Live (1984)
• What You Need (1985)
• The Best Is Yet to Come (1985)
• Back to Basics: English 101 (1988)
• Lights in the World / Held Accountable (1991)

Compassion All Star Band

• One by One (1988)