Diamondback Artists

Jake Ratliff is an Eastern Kentucky musician hailing from Pike County, Ky.

Jake developed a deep passion for music early in life, learning to play the drums when he was only six years old. Cutting his teeth on classic rock, he has since developed a large repertoire of techniques thanks to his dedication to studying different musical genres and styles.

He pursued his talent throughout his youth, participating both in his school’s band and playing with local musicians. From there, he went on to study at Morehead State University in Kentucky. While attending college, Jacob was a member of several different ensembles including Marching Band, Jazz Band, Caribbean Steel Pans Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Black Gospel Ensemble while also playing with various student lead organizations like the MSU Student Methodist Center. Jake has also spent time giving back to the music community by working with kids at local elementary and high school music programs.

Jake is the current drummer for up-and-coming Christian pop group Shiloh, touring alongside the likes of Audio Adrenaline, 7eventh Time Down, Ashes Remain and more. Jake is also an amateur electronic musician, playing drums and programming music for electropop project Bear Prince.

Other artists Jake has played with include critically acclaimed jazz musician Brandon Coleman, world-renowned violinist Jean Watson and Christian pop artist John Waller.

“I LOVE Diamondback Drumsticks! The 5A sticks have a great feel and the etched grips keep them from slipping out of my hands! They’re durable, long lasting and can take a beating! Great sticks made right here in America!”

Born on May 21st 1989 in Rochester, NH. Tyler “Smiley” Jimenez was raised around music with his father and grandfather being drummers. Naturally, he began learning the kit from his father’s lap, until he received his first drum kit on his 4th birthday. Shortly after he was playing along to tapes of Garth Brooks and Brooks and Dunn. At age 6, him and his family relocated to the Wichita KS area. Growing up and through his teens drumming remained mostly a hobby. At 20yrs old he decided to pursue the possibility of a career in music. He became a regular at all the open jams around town and began networking with local musicians. It wasn’t long until he joined up with an established local act and thrown into his second gig opening up for honky tonk outlaw Jackson Taylor and the Sinners. He spent the next year learning what it takes performing a show with energy and finesse, rather than your typical 3-4 set gigs. With more openers for Jackson Taylor, Whitey Morgan, and singer/songwriter legend Billy Joe Shaver; his name began to spread more regionally. He earned himself a reputation of being one of the most solid, in the pocket drummers in the area, while always having a smile behind the kit. This opened up bigger opportunities of playing shows for national touring acts such as alternative indie band the Fifth Fire out of Los Angeles, and honky tonker from Kentucky Peewee Moore. This led to his first full time touring band, Smith Entertainment Artist, Aaron Woods Band from Stillwater, OK.

Playing 125+ shows a year, over multiple state lines, he learned how to be a professional on and off stage. Gaining experience in music videos, radio singles, radio tours, and playing with a click and tracks live. Seizing every opportunity and challenge thrown his way. No challenge is too big for this drummer. Tyler “Smiley” Jimenez proudly endorses Diamondback Drumsticks and GTX Drum Shields Plays Pearl Drums, Gibraltar Hardware, and Zildjian Cymbals

DREAMER: A short history of the band: Dreamer was started by Scott Splawn, Steve Wright and Dal Haynes when we were in Jr. High. We are lifelong friends that simply wanted to make and play music.

PROGRESSION: We started as a Southern Rock Band and later changed into a Heavy Metal Band.

I have played drum for over 37 years and took many years off after leaving Dreamer in 1989. Our claim to fame was that one of our original songs made local radio play a few times (Our 15 min of fame).

After leaving the band, life took me and my wife to San Francisco where I planted an Inner City Church. I was a pastor in San Francisco for a little over 13 years. Both our children were born in California.

We moved back in 2006 to North Carolina and I pastored in Charlotte with three former NBA players for about five years. Next, I started Legacy Church and I pastor that body at present.

I have been restored to some of my childhood friends and our band Dreamer did a reunion concert in Bessemer City NC October of 2015. It was fun to reconnect. We had over 500 people show up to see the show. We were also able to share our faith in Christ with them.

Anyway, that lead to us deciding to put the band back together.

Hey everyone! My name is Willy, and I’ve been a musician since I was 7 years old. In addition to drums, I can also play guitar, bass, and trombone. It all started in my neighbor’s basement, my dad used to go over there and jam with him, and sometimes he would take me with him. My neighbor had a son, who had a band, and because I was the youngest, I was stuck on the drums! It all spiraled out of control from there. My dad had always wanted his own recording studio, and had one built in 2006 with the intentions that he could have a place to store his rather large collection of instruments and gear. He also made it to where when I got old enough, I could turn into a business if I chose to. Fast forward to now (2017) and we have Fainting Goat Studio, a full-blown recording studio filled with tons of great toys, and a vast lineup of musicians and songwriters that work together as a team to make great recordings for people. I consider myself very fortunate to work with such amazing players on a daily basis. As for my influences, for drums, they are-

Ringo Starr

Taylor Hawkins

Dave Grohl

Roger Hawkins (The Swampers)

John Bonham 

Stuart Copeland

Buddy Rich

Chad Smith

Robert “Sput” Searight

I’m looking forward to my relationship with the Diamondback Drumsticks team! They have wonderful sticks, that strike a great tone from your drums, and are definitely easy to hold onto! In addition, the team of guys at Diamondback provide excellent customer service, and stand by their product. Diamondback Drumsticks are the way to go!

Johni Walker is a drummer based in Oklahoma City, OK. with an extensive resume covering 39 years of live performance, recording and teaching credits. Johni started out with a single snare drum at the young age of 10 and never looking back he began playing gigs on a semiprofessional level at 16. Johni toured in various cover and original bands and was signed to national record label Rainy Day Records, in 1996 with his band Sons of Servants from Dallas, TX. When Sons of Servants disbanded a few years later Johni went to work for Rainy Day as an A&R rep and was responsible for signing several artists during this time. Not content with only working for the label Johni began teaching drum set as well as continuing to play in a live setting as often as possible. Fast forward a few years and Johni joined forces with the southern metal influenced band Shotgun Rebellion touring and sharing the stage with numerous major acts including Jackyl, Great White, and Ted Nugent to name a few. Johni has also shared the stage with Ace Frehley, Faster Pussycat, Stryper, BulletBoys, Pretty Boy Floyd, Loudness, Michael Schenker Band, Mushroomhead, Kings X and many others. In 2016 Johni formed his present band Coming Up Zero with a few of Shotgun Rebellion alumni and now as a Diamondback Drumsticks artist he is ready to light the coming year of 2017 on fire!!!

Grayson is one of the most sought-after and beloved session and live drummers in the Midwest.  “G” started playing drums at the age of 12 and has left literally tons of shattered timber and brass in his wake. Grayson’s style can be summed up with three words. BIG, Loud, and Awesome! 

Over his career, Grayson has shared the stage with Badfish (Sublime tribute), Family  Force 5, Sanctus Real, and Skillet. Grayson has also “smashed the skins” for Shrub, Tropidelic, Brian Campbell, This Beautiful Republic and Seth Rollins (American Idol Season 9) and many more…

Grayson now plays for a 30x Platinum Sony recording artist, music producer and songwriter.  Shawn Perry (Former MTV MADE Coach) & The Hazzard County Rebellion and Jul Big Green 

I’ve had barely any formal music education.  I grew up in a musical family and took to drums more than any other instrument.  My first opportunity to perform began at Grafton High School as a member of the Jazz Band.  I then began to expand my skills by playing drums for other musical groups in school.  I then formed a small cover band with local kids.  Later on I was asked to stand in on multiple occasions for other bands.  After high school I went to college and continued to play in band.  It was then that I joined an acoustic rock group named “Empty.”  Empty played out pretty regularly and became fairly popular.  I parted ways with Empty when I enlisted in the United States Air Force.  There were very few outlets to perform while my enlistment took me to Germany, Kuwait and Iraq.  When I returned from the Air Force, I was hungry to play again.  I played in multiple cover bands (Quarter Life Crisis, Sorry We’re Ugly, and AfterKut) for a little more than 3 years before finding a home with Knuckleduster.  Knuckleduster has since played 19 show in the past year and looking to do more in the year to come

My name is Austin Ervin, 18 years old, from Royse City, Texas. Drummer for Hostile, a metal band also out of Royse City, TX.

I’m self-taught. I never had any “formal” training when it comes to being behind the kit. I was in middle school band, but never high school. I practiced in my shed for years, until I got thrown into the music scene by joining Hostile.  I tried starting some of my own projects beforehand, while working part time either delivering pizzas or in hardware stores, but the spark was never there.

I joined Hostile on July 28th, 2016, this band being my first “legitimate” band, and since then Hostile has become my family.  We stay playing shows all over Texas (Austin, Dallas, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Corpus Christi) and up into Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Lawton). We have an awesome list of shows coming in the new year. 

I am proud to be part of the Diamondback and Hostile families.

I was born with amnyoplasia congenita which is a form of arthrogryposis, basically I have no hip or knee joints and my hands are fused at my wrists. When I was little drums always captivated me, anytime I went by s store that had a drum set in the widow or I saw one I had to go check it out. I started playing on my mother’s pots and pans and then eventually moved up to a bongo drum which I played so much I wore a hole in it.

I was 5 when I received my first set, I had so much to figure out like how I was going to hold my sticks and how I was going to work my bass drum and hi hats, but I was determined and wanted to be a drummer and I wasn’t going to let my differences stop me.  I don’t use the standard  techniques like match grip or traditional grip, heel toe, heel up, heel down, swivel,  I use the Shawn Wells techniques as I like to say.  I played backwards for years see I’m a lefty but I had everything set up like a righty so I never used my hi hat pedal so I came up with a stick technique that made it sound like I was opening and closing them. When I was 18 I was playing in the church band in Oceana and the music director asked “Shawn have you ever tried setting your kit up like a true lefty”.  I said no I hadn’t and we set them up like a true lefty and that’s how I’ve been setting up ever since believe me it was weird at first lol.

Over the years I’ve played in many types of bands, country, rock, hard rock, alternative, heavy metal, and contemporary Christian Rock/blues. Thru the years I found that when I was playing long shows my hands would start to get fatigued and sweaty, I tried gloves…. They didn’t work, I tried tape…. Didn’t work either. I found that I started to concentrate more on not dropping my sticks than playing, so in 2004 I created my sleeve, and strap design…..I wish I would have thought of it 20yrs ago, it  made me not focus on losing my sticks and I don’t go thru nearly as many sticks as I used to. My gripping design can be used with any drumstick and are for any and all drummers, not just drummers with hand differences or gripping issues.

I use Diamondback sticks to make the sticks I use….. But any  size or brand you use my gripping design. My design comes 2 ways, their is a strap version and a rubber sleeve that easily slides over you stick, so if you only have trouble with one stick you can slide the rubber sleeve over just one stick, slide your thumb in or whatever finger you prefer and start jamming!  

With the help of Dom Famularo and Andrew Hewitt from CAN-DO MUSOS I’m slowly but surely getting them out to the public. I’ve been apart of CAN-DO MUSOS for about 2 years now, it’s a wonderful website for musicians with disabilities, you can check them out at www.candomusos.com . 

Right now I’m in a band called CORE, we formed back in 2012, we are an indie rock band, we are finishing up our official debut album. Whenever someone asks me how I’m able to play I always say God is the reason. Here are some links of me playing and also a link to the tv interview I did after I was on drumtalktv and my video reached 500,000 views…. I’m getting ready to be back on drumtalktv next month.

Ryky Rogers was born on November 15th, 1988 in Abilene, Tx and was raised in various places in Texas, where his interest in music started at a very early age. “My Dad was in a rock band, so I was always surrounded by music. I spent many days and nights at Dad’s rehearsals, listening and learning. It seemed only natural that I would become a musician.” Although Ryky was primarily self-taught, he did learn many of his chops from his Dad’s drummers… John Kingrea, and Dion fink were two drummers instrumental in Ryky’s development as a drummer. Ryky began as a young teen, playing in various bands, mostly as a metal drummer. He quickly became known in the Abilene, Tx area for his fast footwork on double bass, and was nominated for Drummer of the Year in 2010 in the West Texas area. At the age of 16, Ryky took a temporary job as the drummer for his Dad’s band 3 Shades Blue, an original Southern Rock power trio. Ryky had such a chemistry with the band that they decided to make it a permanent position. Ryky held down the groove for 3 Shades Blue untilthe bands retirement in July of 2017 playing all over Texas, including notable shows, such as an opening slot in front of greats like Rick Springfield, Blackberry Smoke, Candlebox, and several others. Along with other bands SeVIIn, Farewell to Fools and studio work Ryky stays busy playing more than a hundred engagements per year. Ryky’s biggest influences are Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler, The great Mike Portnoy, Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden, Sean Kinney of Alice in Chains, and non drummer influences include Frank Zappa, Queensryche, Maiden, Pantera; and Bleu Edmondson, Stoney Larue, and many more from the Texas/Oklahoma red dirt genre… find him on Facebook and Instagram Ryky exclusively uses Soultone Cymbals and Diamondback Drumsticks