Lounge group sings slow song, but drummer steps in determined to steal the show
It was like he was in an entirely different band, but the crowd loved it!
Johndel Callora
09.16.20

We have seen plenty of skilled drummers showing off their skills on the internet. Still, none of them are like Kwon Soon Yeun.

This 79-year-old drummer suddenly became an internet sensation after two videos of him performing drums for small gigs went viral.

There’s a video from almost eight years ago that made this drummer famous.

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YouTube Screenshot

You probably have seen this video at some point after browsing the featured videos on YouTube’s homepage.

This one was from 2011 when Kwon Soon Yeun was playing the drums for a small band that was hired to play at a wedding. The song they performed was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” If by any chance you haven’t seen this clip yet, now is still a great time to do so!

Kwon Soon Yeun was dubbed as the “drummer that stole the show.”

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YouTube Screenshot

The band kicks off with a slow start with the vocals and the keyboard leading the show.

It’s easy to notice the lead vocalist’s soft, angelic voice as she begins to sing. A minute afterward, the camera slowly pans to the drummer who makes his entrance during the second verse of the song.

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YouTube Screenshot

The lead singer was skilled and charming enough but the drummer Kwon Soon Yeun, who was 71 years old at that time, stole the spotlight from her the moment he started playing the drums.

The whole time, his exaggerated facial expressions are what made his drumming so special!

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YouTube Screenshot

As he made his entrance, you could see Kwon Soon Yeun twirling one drumstick while using his right to hit the drums.

His facial expressions give the impression of someone really feeling the music in his body. As he does his thing, he stands up and waves his hands while simultaneously pulling off some perfectly precise drumming to accompany the band’s lead singer.

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YouTube Screenshot

With the mellow music of “My Way” playing as background, he was bringing a wholly different kind of vibe as he played his drums!

As the band entered the final section of the song, the drummer suddenly stood up and perfectly timed the hitting of the drums with the song. He brought out all of his energy to sway his whole body while keeping up with the whole band. The drummer’s fire just kept burning until the song came into a close. His passion and enthusiasm were just not what you would expect from a 71-year-old drummer!

As his passionate drumming spread throughout the internet, someone was inspired to make a film about his life.

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YouTube Screenshot

Mingu Kim was the director of the documentary film A Drummer’s Passion, a film was all about the life of Kwon Soon Yeun.

He was inspired to make this film after becoming so fascinated by this particular YouTube video that he stumbled upon a few years back.

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YouTube Screenshot

Kwon Soon Yeun was a drummer from the first Korean band in the 1960s called ADD-4.

In 1975, he quit the band and moved to Canada to live a simple life while maintaining his passion for drumming.

For 50 years, this drummer has been playing the drums this way, believing it was normal.

YouTube Screenshot
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YouTube Screenshot

However, he clarified his drumming style after being interviewed for the documentary.

“People see me and say I’m passionate, or that I am possessed, or just plain crazy,” he told them. “But I see myself as being normal.”

It’s amazing how many people were mesmerized with his way of expressing the music. As the song suggested, he was just playing the drums his way!

Watch the full performance in the link below:

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