DARRELL NUTT - BMHOF CLASS OF 2022

2022 Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Inductee Darrell Nutt stoked the fires of his Western New York musical upbringing to create a successful career as an internationally recognized drummer, producer, and mix engineer, becoming a “go-to” musicians’ source for touring, recording, and sampling over five decades. 

Described as a “hard-working, blue-collar musician,” Nutt grew up in Buffalo and Lockport, started drumming at age 4, and began performing in the 1980s at age 14. At 17, Darrell was called on stage by Rick James’ drummer Mike Caputy. He also backed his mother, Birdie Lee, who was a singer on the Grand Ole Opry. His stepbrother, Dana Heidemann, drummed for well-known country artists. Darrell joined his first professional recording session at age 16. After attending Villa Maria College and cutting his teeth with the best of Buffalo players, starting at age 19 he left WNY to tour the U.S., Canada, and Europe with established Country, Top 40, and Rock artists, and to appear on national television.

He also became a trusted studio performer and producer: composing, performing, engineering, and mixing for recording artists, TV, video, films, and podcasts, and recording drums for a sampling library plug-in. He has drummed proficiently in a variety of contemporary styles, including jazz, funk, house, rock, techno, electronica, and punk. His credits include touring and recording with singer John Waite, and with members of Steely Dan, AC/DC, Goo Goo Dolls, Yes, Moody Blues, Bad Company, and Parliament/Funkadelic. 

He has recorded six studio albums, including What Is A Groove? featuring a “chill/lounge rhythmic vibe.” (Fort Myers Florida Weekly, 9/1/22) Nutt built defMEDIA Studio in southwest Florida, where he has recorded clients from around the world, while also working in graphic design, directing music videos, and creating drum tracks via the online marketplace SoundBetter.com. He has provided drum loops and samples for dozens of projects, winning several national awards between 2002 and 2009. 

Darrell is featured on over 100 Spotify tracks, which he has recorded with various artists since 1996.  

He has continued to perform in the Fort Myers area in a band called The Moots, playing 70s, 80s, and 90s funk, soul, and pop. 


“A groove is the space between two notes…It’s what you don’t play, that makes it groove!”

~  Darrell Nutt