The multi-talented Floyd Sneed was a Canadian drummer with an infectious beat. He was born in Calgary, Alberta, November 22, 1942. Born to Napoleon and Willa Sneed, and descendant of Parson Henry Sneed, who was among a community of Black Americans who left Oklahoma and Texas due to racism, to settle in the Canadian prairies. His family was active in the church musical community, although Sneed found it to be a dull affair. His musical heroes were loud and eclectic, including Elvin Jones, Sonny Payne and Gene Krupa.

He began playing in his mid-teens and while living in Canada he toured local bands with his older brother who was a guitarist, and then brother-in-law comedian, Tommy Chong. The three were all a part of band, The Daddy & The Bachelors. They won a battle of the bands at the Pacific National Exhibition with the first prize win being the opportunity to record a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Too Much Monkey Business” at Aragon Recording Studios. This same band would eventually become Bobby Taylors and the Vancouvers, later making a deal with Motown Records. Sneed decided instead to move to the shining city of L.A.

Sneed originally played with soul group Heat Wave, often at the Red Velvet club in Hollywood on Sunset Blvd. It was there that he was discovered by Joe Schermie and asked to audition for Three Dog Night. The self-taught drummer stayed with the band until 1974 and then again briefly in 1981. The group provided covers to mainstream hits, adding their own sunny disposition to the composition. They produced constant chart toppers with nearly two dozen top 40 hits between 1969-1975. Hit tracks including “Joy to the World”, “Mama Told me not to Come”, and “One”, with Sneed providing drumming and back-up vocals. Throughout his music career he also played with K.A.T.T., S.S. Fools (later Toto) and toured with the Ohio Players.

Unfortunately, Sneed passed away at the age of 80 on January 27th, 2023, in L.A. after suffering from diabetes resulting in renal failure. The rhythmic engine was also an avid doodler and drawer. When he wasn’t flashing a smile and stunning audiences with his charismatic presence, he was sketching, with some of his pieces shown in galleries across Canada and the U.S. Right up until his death, he could be found either drumming, painting or BBQ-ing. He broke barriers both musically and culturally, remaining a mentor for other drummers with his style and technique.