Leland Waddell

(Percusssion)

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Leland was born on Valentine’s Day in 1946 to the well-known musical family of "Waddell" in Williston, South Carolina, and whose father Royce Leland Waddell, Sr. worked professionally in the days of Live Radio as the bass singer in a quartet consisting of "Daddy" Waddell’s four brothers.

 

Along with Leland’s little brother David, they have spawned a musical career lasting over fifty years and counting. Leland started playing drums when he was thirteen, and by the age of sixteen was working regularly with a local band called "The Jadoes" in the many night clubs in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

 

Before long, Leland was working with T.G. Sheppard, Mel Mc Daniel, Connie Smith, J.D.Sumner and the Stamps and was staff drummer on the Grand Ol’Opry. He played in the Bobby Charles Band with Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn and Bucky Lindsey.  He was asked by Johnny Cash to go on the road with him but Leland was already the dedicated drummer with songwriter Billy Joe Shaver. 

 

Brother David ended up in Austin and in 1985 Leland joined him there, again as a team.  After “semi” retiring, Leland took up racing cars as a hobby which went beyond that to becoming a professional Race Car driver, now for 24 years, four Championship wins and over 200 first place trophies in the Texas Stock Car Oval Track Racing series he’s been described as a very "Fast driver" with “nerves of steel”.

 

When his Brother David was elected to produce the new Claudia Zimmermann CD, the first person David called was Leland to fly over for the special recording and play some concerts with David Waddell & Hell bound Train.

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Leland lives in Austin, Texas.