Fred Sanford

Who was Fred Sanford?

Fred Sanford was a percussionist, teacher, composer, and clinician. He is best known for his work in the areas of marching percussion, drum & bugle corps, and marching band.

Raised in Casper, Wyoming, Fred followed his older brother Ken, also a drummer, into the Casper Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps at the age of 12 in 1959. He was a member of the Troopers for ten years until he aged out following his 21st birthday in 1968. Although he attended school at California State University in Fullerton and taught the newly organized Anaheim Kingsmen from 1965-1967, each summer he would return to teach and perform with his hometown corps.

In 1968, Fred moved to northern California where he attended San Jose State and studied percussion with Tony Cirone. During this time he also began to instruct and write for another new drum corps – the Santa Clara Vanguard, with whom he would work for 12 seasons. During his tenure there, the Vanguard drum line won an unprecedented five national DCI "high drums" titles; years 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978 and 1979.

Following his graduation from San Jose State in 1970, he taught high school music programs in Bergenfield, New Jersey where he met Dennis DeLucia.