William “Bill” Kreutzmann, Jr. (“KROYTZmahn”; born May 7, 1946) is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their whole thirty-year career. He also plays with his own groups BK3 and 7 Walkers, which features guitarist Papa Mali. His maternal grandfather was football coach and innovator Clark Shaughnessy. He’s of part German origin. Kreutzmann began playing drums in the age of 13. Their first real show was May 5, 1965, two days before Kreutzmann’s nineteenth birthday. Throughout the group’s early days, Kreutzmann occasionally used a phony draft card together with the name “Bill Sommers” to be accepted to bars where the group was playing, since he was underage. In November 1965, the Warlocks became the Grateful Dead. Assembly fellow percussionist Mickey Hart in the autumn of 1967 would have a huge impact on Kreutzmann’s career. Hart shortly joined the Dead, making it among the first (and few) rock bands to feature two drummers. Their drawn-out drum duets were a characteristic of virtually every show from 1978–1995, and therefore are recorded in numerous records by the group.
The Grateful Dead , Billy Kreutzmann , Bill Kreutzman , William Kreutzmann , Grateful Dead , William "Bill" Kreutzmann, Jr. , William Kreutzmann, Jr.
Music Groups
Grateful Dead (1965 – 1995)
Movies
The Grateful Dead Movie, Ticket to New Year's, Grateful Dead: Downhill from Here, The Rhythm Devils Concert Experience, Grateful Dead: View from the Vault, Grateful Dead: View from the Vault 2, The Best of the Jammys: Vol. 2, Grateful Dead: View from the Vault 3
Star Sign
Taurus
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Fact
1
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Grateful Dead)in 1994.
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
American Experience
1997-2005
TV Series documentary musician - 6 episodes
Vietnam: A Television History
1983
TV Series documentary musician - 11 episodes
Apocalypse Now
1979
musician - as Billy Kreutzmann
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Jerry Garcia: The Wheel
2004
TV Movie
American Experience
1997
TV Series documentary 4 episodes
Grateful Dead: Backstage Pass
1992
Video short
Vietnam: A Television History
1983
TV Series documentary 11 episodes
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Parenthood
2012
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place
2011
Documentary writer: "Caution Do Not Stop On The Tracks" - as William Kreutzmann
The Music Never Stopped
2011
arranger: "Not Fade Away/Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad" Traditional - as William Kreutzmann
Peyote to LSD: A Psychedelic Odyssey
2008
TV Movie documentary writer: "Dark Star"
Parashat Ha-Shavua
2006
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Dreamers
2003
writer: "Dark Star" 1968 - as William Kreutzmann
Flirting with Disaster
1996
writer: "Truckin'"
Comic Book Confidential
1988
Documentary music: "Dark Star"
Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead
1981
Video writer: "Franklin's Tower"
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
American Experience
1997
TV Series documentary 1 episode
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
The Music Never Stopped
2011
special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Long Strange Trip
2017
Documentary post-production
Himself
Dear Jerry: Celebrating the Music of Jerry Garcia
2016
Video
Himself
The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: A Celebration of Mac & His Music
2016
TV Movie
Himself
Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of Grateful Dead
2015
Himself
Fare Thee Well: Circles Around the Sun
2015
Video documentary
Himself
Fare Thee Well: Rainbows Are Real
2015
Documentary short
Himself
American Express UNSTAGED: Dead & Company
2015
Himself - Dead & Company
Conan
2015
TV Series
Himself - Guest
The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir
2014
Documentary
Himself
Move Me Brightly: Celebrating Jerry Garcia's 70th Birthday
2013
Video
Himself
Sunshine Daydream
2013
Himself
Basically Frightened: The Musical Madness of Colonel Bruce Hampton
2012
Documentary
Himself
Best of the Jammys, Volume Two
2007
Video
Himself
Grateful Dead Truckin' Up to Buffalo
2005
Video documentary
Himself
Festival Express
2003
Documentary
Himself - Grateful Dead (as Bill Kreutzman)
View from the Vault IV
2003
Video
Himself
View from the Vault III
2002
Video
Himself
Dare to Dream: A Concert for Hope
2002
TV Special
Artist
View from the Vault II
2001
Video
Himself
The End of the Road
2001
Documentary
Himself
View from the Vault
2000
Video
Himself
ABC in Concert
1993
TV Series documentary
Himself
Grateful Dead: Backstage Pass
1992
Video short
Himself
Grateful Dead: So Far
1987
Video documentary
Himself
Grateful Dead: Ticket to New Year's Eve Concert
1987
Video documentary
Himself
Dead Ringers: The Making of the Touch of Grey Video
1987
Video short
Himself
Gio Coppola & Justin Kreutzmann: Nobody's
1986
Video
Himself
Grateful Dead: Dead Ahead
1981
Video
Himself - Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead: The Closing of Winterland
1978
TV Movie
Himself - Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead
1977
Documentary
Himself
Fillmore
1972
Documentary
Performers (as The Grateful Dead)
Beat-Club
1972
TV Series
Baff - Fast eine Sendung
1971
TV Series
Himself
San Francisco Rock: A Night at the Family Dog
1970
TV Movie documentary
Himself - Grateful Dead (as Billy Kreutzmann)
Playboy After Dark
1969
TV Series
Singer
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place
2011
Documentary
Himself
Live from New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live
2005
TV Special documentary
Himself
Known for movies
Apocalypse Now (1979) as Music Department
Grateful Dead: Ticket to New Year's Eve Concert (1987) as Himself
Festival Express (2003) as Himself - Grateful Dead