Drummer Jack Bruno grew up in a family of professional and amateur musicians, and recalls a childhood of “records playing all the time. Singing, accordions, food, wine…” He began playing drums in his uncle’s band, and later took any and all gigs that came his way, “from bah mitzvahs to strip joints.” By the age of 17, Jack and some Boston friends had formed the Applepie Motherhood Band (part of the psychedelic “Boss-town” sound that record companies were trying to push at the time), which released two albums in the late 1960s.
By 1981, Jack had begun playing and recording with Tina Turner, and met Elton’s band when the two acts were in Brunei for the 21st birthday of the prince’s daughter. He had also played in an LA band with Guy Babylon and knew Bob Birch from the session circuit.
So when Davey Johnstone called and asked Jack to play on the final leg of The Big Picture tour, Jack jumped at the chance.
After a bit of a trial by fire on the first show in Austin, Texas, Jack enjoyed himself on the rest of the tour. “Being able to play these songs, especially the older ones I grew up with, with the man that wrote and played them, was amazing every night. It was as good as it gets for a player.” He also added that, “The respect and treatment from Elton and the whole organization was top class.” Jack had the distinction of playing drums for both Tina Turner and Elton during a couple of shows in 1999: the VH-1 Divas Live concert in April and then their two separate Millennium concerts in Las Vegas on December 30 and 31.
Just after doing The Big Picture tour, Jack got to work with Delbert McClinton for a year, and then did Tina Turner’s tour in 2001. He has also played with acts like Richard Marx and Peter Frampton. Currently Jack lives in Nashville, Tennessee and recently has been out on the road with Joe Cocker, with whom he has played off and on since the 1990s, and backed Tina Turner once again for her 50th Anniversary Tour in 2008-09.