Thomas Pridgen

Thomas Pridgen (born November 23, 1983) is an African American drum virtuoso and session player, perhaps best known for his work with cult American psych-rock group The Mars Volta and their guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López. As a child prodigy, he set several records in his field: youngest Guitar Center Drum-Off Champion at age nine; youngest Zildjian endorsement at age 10; youngest Berklee School of Music full-ride scholarship recipient at age fifteen.

He has studied with legendary drum instructors, including Tower of Power’s David Garibaldi, renowned percussionist Walfredo Reyes, Sr., and former Parliament-Funkadelic drummer Dennis Chambers.