Max Weinberg

Max Weinberg (born 13 April 1951 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American drummer and television personality. He rose to success as the drummer for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, joining in 1975 after answering a newspaper ad that famously requested "no junior Ginger Bakers". Weinberg's consistent beat gave the E Street Band a solid foundation until Springsteen dissolved it in 1989. Since the inception of Late Night with Conan O'Brien in 1993, he has been the leader of that show's band, the Max Weinberg Seven. In the show, Weinberg's mellow persona is often a counter balance to Conan's sometimes excited and sarcastic nature. However, in many comedy skits, Weinberg is presented as a twisted character with various sexual fetishes. In the past several years, especially since the departure of Late Night cohost Andy Richter, Max has had less of a presence in the show. Once Springsteen reunited the E Street Band in 1999, Weinberg began taking leaves of absence from the show in order to go out on tour. Weinberg is the author of The Big Beat: Conversations with Rock's Greatest Drummers (1991), a series of interviews with drummers from all eras, as well as a companion series of CDs released on Rhino Records. The Max Weinberg Seven released a self-titled album in 2000.