by Jeffrey Hudson

It is my deepest sorrow to share the news that PAGE DRUMS creator and drummer David Page passed away peacefully Thanksgiving Day, 2025 at his home in Oceanside, CA. Born June 12, 1936 in Dublin, Ireland, to parents Bridget and David Page Sr, young David began his musical career on the Uilleann Pipes. His father, David Page Sr was All Ireland Uilleann pipe champion circa 1940’s. At age 14, David, along with his older brother Tom, moved to England working menial jobs with hopes of moving their parents to England from their native Ireland, where better opportunities existed at that time. He started playing drums around age 15 and eventually joined the Queen’s Guard (Irish Division) and served 7 years as a Guard’s drummer. After leaving the Guard, David began his drumming career playing in several jazz bands around England, honing his craft. He also played with popular English acts of the time such as Frankie Vaughn (Green Door), etc. Having married and with 2 young children (Neville and Janette) in tow, David moved across the ocean to the states in November of 1969 to Chicago where he immediately found work with acts such as The Arbors (where Page formed a lifetime bond with renown pianist and composer Randy Waldman) and a stint with Tom Jones. With big band jazz losing popularity, David dove in to more contemporary styles such as pop and rock music (which he originally found quite challenging coming from a jazz background). In 1976, David and his family opted for the warmer climate of the west coast and moved to San Diego, CA. It was during this time that Dave became a Pearl Drums Endorser. Having divorced, David married his soulmate, Sandy in 1979 and remained married until his passing in 2025.

Having never forgotten the rope tension drums he played while in the Queen’s Guard, Dave always wondered why a similar design couldn’t be incorporated into an entire drum set. Ever one who loved a challenge and obsessed with an engineering mind, Page started making rope tension drum set prototypes in the 1980’s. He designed and scrapped countless drums until he eventually developed rope tension drums that achieved the look and sound he sought. Deciding that certain factors could hinder the durability of rope, he envisioned something more sturdy and stable. Having custom lugs tooled on a lathe that would allow for a steel cable to be used in lieu of a rope, he once again embarked on tweaking his design. David premiered PAGE DRUMS in 1992 at the Anaheim NAMM show and has been twice nominated for Best Acoustic Drum. What made PAGE DRUMS so unique was that the drum allowed Pages's custom tom mounts (now common with products like RIMS), attached directly to the counter hoop and the lugs free floating, his design was a shell free of holes and hardware, maintaining equal tuning at all times, and thus giving his design an incredible resonant and beautiful tone. And his design could be tuned by the simple turn of a single tension rod. Randy Waldman of Zebra studios, (Barbra Streisand, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston & many more) claims that "Page Drums are the most unique and innovative design on the market today. The studio sound is incomparable." Evelyn Glennie, Europe's most celebrated percussionist, has owned many custom Page kits. PAGE DRUMS were played in the London show "Cats" and "Phantom of the Opera". Famed Irish troupe Celtic Thunder toured for years with their custom PAGE setup. PAGE DRUMS have been featured in all the major drum publications and played by drummers worldwide.

Christopher David Page…father, husband, Queen’s Guard, professional drummer, teacher (private and world percussion at USD), drum builder pioneer, and my dear friend has left us. His smile, his unique humor and charm, his brilliance, will never leave those of us who were fortunate enough to know him. He lives on through his children, grandchildren and his incredible legacy of PAGE DRUMS, the original cable tension drums, which continue today to be built for drummers worldwide.

Dedicated to my mentor, partner and friend.

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