Bernard "Pretty" Purdie

Who is Bernard "Pretty" Purdie?

Bernard Lee "Pretty" Purdie is an American session drummer, and is considered an influential and innovative exponent of funk. He is known for his strict musical time keeping and "The Purdie Shuffle".

Purdie recorded Soul Drums as a band leader and although he went on to record Alexander's Ragtime Band, the album remained unreleased until Soul Drums was reissued on CD in 2009 with the Alexander's Ragtime Band sessions. Other solo albums include Purdie Good, Soul Is...Pretty Purdie and the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film Lialeh.

Purdie was credited on the soundtrack album for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and more recently he was the drummer for the 2009 Broadway revival of Hair and appeared on the associated Broadway cast recording.

In the mid-1990s he was a member of The 3B's, with Bross Townsend and Bob Cunningham.