Keith LeBlanc – born November 10, 1954, in Bristol, Connecticut – was an influential drummer and producer who worked within several different genres but is best known for his work with industrial / funk group Tackhead. As a young boy, he was inspired by Ringo Starr and joined his school orchestra. After piecemealing together a drum set, he began performing in bands in his early teens. After playing drums for several years, he replaced Harold Sargent in Sugar Hill Records’ house band in 1979. Alongside musicians like bassist Dough Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald, Keith LeBlanc played on many classic hip-hop tracks released on Sugar Hill including recordings by hip-hop pioneers The Sugarhill Gang (1980’s “8th Wonder”) and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (1982’s “The Message”). After four years with Sugar Hill Records, Keith LeBlanc became a session player for Tommy Boy Records in 1984, appearing on albums by Force MDs and Afrika Bambaataa among others. He also worked with British New Wave group ABC on their 1985 album How to Be a… Zillionaire before becoming involved with industrial artists like Ministry and Nine Inch Nails. Keith LeBlanc released his debut solo album, Major Malfunction, in 1986 before joining producer Adrian Sherwood and his Sugar Hill bandmates Wimbish and McDonald in a group called Tackhead. The group, who became associated with the On-U-Sound label, blended industrial music with funk and released their debut album, Tackhead Tape Time, in 1987. Further albums included Friendly as a Hand Grenade (1989) and Strange Things (1990) before the group went on an extended hiatus. Keith LeBlanc continued his solo career with albums such as Stranger Than Fiction (1989), Raw (1990), Time Traveller (1992), Freakatorium (1999), Stop the Confusion (Global Interference) (2005), and 12 Movements of Boom (2022). He also continued his session work, appearing on recordings by the likes of Seal, Annie Lennox, Depeche Mode, Tina Turner, Wolfgang Press, and others. Tackhead briefly reunited for the album For the Love of Money (2014) and a tour. Keith LeBlanc died of an undisclosed illness on April 4, 2024, at the age of 69.
