NPR

Elvis Presley's Longtime Drummer, D.J. Fontana, Has Died

The drummer who laid down the sound of rock and roll on tunes like "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Jailhouse Rock" died Wednesday at age 87. He had been the last surviving member of Presley's 1950s band.
Drummer D.J. Fontana (far right), on stage with Elvis Presley during the singer's landmark 1968 comeback TV special. Fontana died Thursday at age 87.

D.J. Fontana, the drummer who helped create Elvis Presley's early, rockabilly sound and who played with him throughout the 1950s on hits like "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog," has died, his wife Karen Fontana confirmed to NPR. Fontana died on Wednesday night in his sleep at the age

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