Morgan
From playing Jimi Hendrix at age three to filling in for Mötley Crüe and Korn, Rose is a top-100 drummer voted 'Hottest' by Australia's Rolling Stone and number one metal drummer by Modern Drummer in 2004.
Morgan Jay Rose (born December 13, 1968) is an American musician best known as a founding member of the Atlanta-based alternative metal band Sevendust. Beyond his role as the band's drummer, he contributes backing and unclean vocals and serves as Vice President of Imagen Records. His career spans decades of innovation, with stints in Call Me No One, Tommy Lee's Methods of Mayhem, and fill-in duties for giants like Korn and Mötley Crüe.
- birth_date
- December 13, 1968
- band_role
- Drummer, Backing Vocals, Unclean Vocals
- top_drummer_ranking
- Top 100 (Drum magazine, Drummerworld)
- metal_drummer_ranking
- #1 (Modern Drummer, 2004)
- hottest_drummer_poll
- "Hottest drummer" in history (Australia's Rolling Stone, 2003)
- hit_parader_ranking
- #32 (Top 100 Bassist and Drummers of All time)
- solo_ep_release
- November 27, 2020
- sevendust_albums_count
- 14 listed
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Rose's musical journey began in New Jersey before moving to Atlanta at age seven. His father taught him guitar, enabling Rose to play Jimi Hendrix's "If 6 Was 9" by age three after witnessing David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust tour on a security guard's shoulders. He attended high school in St. Petersburg, Florida, playing numerous garage bands before heading to the Musicians' Institute of Los Angeles. In the early 1990s, he played with Fairchild and Stiff Kitty, then Snake Nation alongside Vinnie Hornsby. Late in 1992, Rose and Hornsby joined Lajon Witherspoon (formerly of Body & Soul) to form Rumblefish, which became Crawlspace, and finally Sevendust after a name rights issue.
In Their Own Story
Rose's career is marked by high-profile collaborations and unique origins. His nickname "Alien Freak" inspired his clothing line and Vater signature drumsticks; he explained in a 2007 article that friends called him an "alien" for his visual style and a "freak" for his performance intensity. In August 2009, he filled in for an injured Tommy Lee on five Mötley Crüe shows during Crüe Fest 2 (August 14–19). He also doubled as the drummer for Korn on the final leg of the Music As A Weapon V tour. Rose produced and recorded drums for The Infinite Staircase's "Black Out the Sun" in June 2012, released March 2013, and formed the side project Le Projet with Candlebox singer Kevin Martin in late 2014.
Reader's Guide
Rose is endorsed by Vater Percussion (Alien Freak and Whiplash sticks), Pearl Drums (Masterworks Series with Broken Glass Finish), Remo heads, Sabian cymbals, and ddrum electronics. His kit includes specific sizes like a 22x18" bass drum and custom Zil-Bel cymbals drilled with small or large holes. He co-wrote his solo EP "Controlled Chaos" (released November 27, 2020) with Clint Lowery. Discography highlights include Sevendust albums from "Sevendust" (1997) to "Truth Killer" (2023), plus guest work on Neverset's "Take It All Away" and Eye Empire's "Moment of Impact." He also produced for Candlelight Red and recorded with Ghost Embrace in late 2014.
Did You Know?
- Rose claimed to play Jimi Hendrix's "If 6 Was 9" when he was three years old.
- He witnessed David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust tour while sitting on a security guard's shoulders.
- The nickname "Alien Freak" came from friends calling him an alien for his style and a freak for his performance.
- In August 2009, he replaced Tommy Lee in Mötley Crüe for five shows between August 14 and 19.
- He recorded drums for Ghost Embrace using a rented Pearl Drum Set with Evans heads provided by Johnny Morgan's tech.
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