DERRINGER DISCOVERIES

ARTIST: Jim McCarty/The Yardbirds

LOCATION: Provence, France 

FEATURED: Episode 89

ARTIST BIO 

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, McCarty has remained an active force in music for over six decades. In addition to his work with The Yardbirds, he’s recorded with Renaissance, Illusion, and as a solo artist, continuing to tour and share the stories behind the songs that defined an era.

FROM DERRINGER DISCOVERIES

Jim McCarty and The Yardbirds were not just part of rock history -- they helped write it. As the rhythmic backbone of a band that launched three of the greatest guitarists of all time -- Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page -- McCarty’s drumming was both inventive and foundational. The Yardbirds didn’t just follow trends; they created them, blending blues, psychedelia, and early hard rock into a sound that influenced everyone from Led Zeppelin to garage bands across the globe.

McCarty was a musical collaborator and innovator. While the spotlight often landed on the guitarists, it was McCarty’s steady pulse and creative instincts that held the band together through lineup changes and sonic experimentation. Team Derringer celebrates his legacy not only as a drummer, but as a co-writer and musical architect whose contributions continue to echo through the decades.