He was the first person to approach the drums with the so called
"Open-handed" (ambidextrous) style of playing the drums. He started
playing with this technique when he was only 15 years old (1959).
Even though a right-handed person, he can play the drums as if he was
ambidextrous.
He recorded music for the advertisements of Shaft (1971), which was for a
special promotion while being in New York.
Was voted as the best over-all drummer in 1987 by the Modern Drummer
magazine.
Inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2006.