This is a little belated, but a big “Happy Birthday” to Viola Smith! She turned 102 on November 29. Viola Smith has been a drummer since the 1920s. She started out playing with her sister and grew to prominence in the 1930s and 1940s. Later, she joined the all female band the Coquettes. Viola Smith is credited as being one of the very first professional female drummers. If wanna know more about Viola’s story, check out this rad interview Tom Tom did with her in early 2013.
102 and still drumming! Here’s Viola drumming back when she was 100.
