Pick Withers

David "Pick" Withers (born 4 April 1948 in Leicester) is an English rock and jazz drummer. He was the original drummer of rock band Dire Straits and played on their first four albums, which included hit singles such as "Sultans of Swing", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Private Investigations".[1] Withers was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Dire Straits in 2018.[2][3]

Pick Withers
Withers performing with Dire Straits in 1978
Background information
Birth name	David Withers
Also known as	Pick Withers, Pique Withers, Pic Withers
Born	4 April 1948 Leicester, England
Genres	Rock, jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer
Instruments	Drums
Years active	1964–present
Associated acts	Dave Edmunds, Magna Carta, Dire Straits

Biography

Taught by childhood friend Richard Storer, Withers first played a drum in the Boys' Brigade in his home city of Leicester. He became a professional musician at the age of 17, in a band called the Primitives. This was followed by a band called Spring who had a record contract but little success; they released one album on the RCA label. In the mid-1970s Withers was a house drummer at Rockfield Studios near Monmouth, Wales. He played on records by Dave Edmunds, Hobo, the John Dummer Band and the Gary Fletcher Band, amongst others.[4]

His nickname has been subject to some variations in spelling. During his time with Spring, he was billed as Pique Withers. He is billed as Pic Withers on his appearance on the second Brewers Droop album.

Withers has also studied at Drumtech drum school in London.

Dire Straits

Mark Knopfler met Withers in 1973 in London when he joined blues band Brewers Droop, with whom Withers was already playing; his style, like Knopfler's on guitar, was blues-based. The drummer worked regularly with Knopfler during the mid-1970s, although Withers maintained his Rockfield affiliations and was briefly a member of folk-rock outfit Magna Carta in 1977. Once Dire Straits gained a recording contract, he turned to drumming for that band full-time.

His style with Dire Straits is distinctive for being restrained, favouring sparse snare drum and hi-hat combinations rather than heavy beats, speed and pyrotechnic flourishes. He played on the Dire Straits albums Dire Straits (1978), Communiqué (1979), Making Movies (1980) and Love Over Gold (1982).

Withers left the band in the summer of 1982, soon after completing the Love Over Gold sessions, to spend more time with his family and to pursue jazz music. He reportedly told an interviewer that he had succumbed to a growing feeling that there was nothing left in the music for him and that he was in danger of "becoming a rock drummer". His replacement in Dire Straits was Terry Williams, also a Dave Edmunds sideman.

Discography

With Dire Straits

With others

• Spring, Spring
• How Long Is Forever, Prelude
• Slow Train Coming, Bob Dylan
• Giant From The Blue, Gary Fletcher Band
• Sleepwalking, Gerry Rafferty
• A Rare Conundrum, Bert Jansch

References

1. Wright, Jade (2011-01-07). "Pick Withers: From Dire Straits and Bob Dylan's drummer to putting on his own gigs in Liverpool – Liverpool Arts – Entertainment". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 2011-10-31.
2. "Bon Jovi, Dire Straits Lead Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Class". Rolling Stone. 13 December 2017.
3. "Dire Straits". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
4. "garyfletchermusic.co.uk". garyfletchermusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-10-31.