From: https://www.sonnypugar.org/sonnys-bio.html
He picked up his first pair of sticks at the age of 2. He began playing drums professionally at the age of 12; at 14 he was working four nights a week in clubs. At 16 he broke the world’s record for longest drum solo.
Starting in the 1960s with B. E. Taylor in a band called “The Redcoats,” Sonny began to hone his performance skills. As he matured as an artist, he understood the concept of filling space. “Being a drummer is like painting a picture. But instead of colors and shapes, you use rhythms,” he said.