George Edward "Butch" Ballard (December 26, 1918 – October 1, 2011)[1] was an American jazz drummer who played with Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.
[3] When he was about 10 years old, Ballard's father bought him a set of drums from a pawnbroker and he began to take lessons for 75 cents each.
[3] In 1941, he began playing with the Cootie Williams Orchestra, performing with Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, and Pearl Bailey.
[2][3] During World War II, Ballard joined the United States Navy and served in the 29th Special Construction Battalion in Guam and the South Pacific.
[3][4] He played with musicians including Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton, Billy Strayhorn, Kay Davis and Chubby Kemp and Wendell Marshall.
[6] Ballard played with many musicians during his career, including John Coltrane, Freddie Green, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Clark Terry, Emmett "Rev" Berry, Bardu Ali, Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, Arnett Cobb, Lucky Millinder, Bootsie Barnes, Bob Dorsey, Eddy Vincent and Mercer Ellington.