Bill Berry

Bill Berry
Berry smiling while playing drums
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Thomas Berry
Born (1958-07-31) July 31, 1958 (age 66)
Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
  • Drums
  • percussion
  • bass guitar
  • keyboards
  • vocals
Years active
  • 1980–1997, 2022–present
Member ofThe Bad Ends
Formerly ofR.E.M.

William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar and piano, both for songwriting and on R.E.M. albums. In 1995, Berry suffered a cerebral aneurysm onstage and collapsed. After a successful recovery he left the music industry two years later to become a farmer, and has since maintained a low profile, making sporadic reunions with R.E.M. and appearing on other artists' recordings. His departure made him the only member of the band to not remain with them during their entire run. Berry eventually returned to the industry in 2022.