12 Facts About Carlo Little

Carl O'Neil Little, better known by his stage name Carlo Little, was a rock and roll drummer, based in the London nightclub scene in the 1960s.

Carlo Little played in an early version of the Rolling Stones.

Carlo Little was included in the evacuation of civilians during World War II as a child, and sent to relatives in Wales during the Blitz in London.

Skiffle inspired Carlo Little to join a band, Derek Addison's Rhythm Katz.

Carlo Little was called up in 1958 to do National Service in the Royal Fusiliers Corps of Drums, serving in Kenya and Malta, and he was singled out to become head drummer due to his loud playing.

The bulk of the band members, including Carlo Little, left in 1962 to join the Cyril Davies All Stars, and recorded a single "Country Line Special", an instrumental track which influenced Keith Richards and Ray Davies.

Carlo Little played a few gigs with the young Rolling Stones and was asked by Brian Jones to join permanently before they hired Charlie Watts as their official drummer in January 1963.

Carlo Little was the loudest drummer many had ever seen or heard, one of the first to ever hammer the bass drum.

Carlo Little continued to work as a session drummer throughout the 1960s, and toured with the Flower Pot Men, Billie Davis and Neil Christian in Europe.

Carlo Little later auditioned for Deep Purple and Ian Dury but signed to Decca Records in 1973 as Hurricane with Stuart Colman and Freddie 'Fingers' Lee.

Carlo Little played in pub bands throughout the 1970s and 1980s, until he reformed the All Stars in 2000.

Carlo Little died of lung cancer in Cleadon, Tyne and Wear in 2005, at the age of 66.