Stuart Elliott

Stuart Alexander Elliott (born 22 May 1953) is an English drummer. He was the original drummer for Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel and during his time with this band he became a session drummer playing for top artists such as Kate Bush, Al Stewart, The Alan Parsons Project, David Byron, Roger Daltrey, Paul McCartney, Claudio Baglioni, Lucio Battisti, among others.[edit]

Stuart Elliott's audience does not gather under a single banner or chant a specific name. While Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel enjoy a dedicated following, fans of the drummer typically identify with the band itself rather than forming a distinct subgroup named after him. A Facebook group titled "Stuart Elliott Cockney Rebel Fan Page" serves as an unofficial hub for enthusiasts, yet it lacks the formal moniker found in other music communities. There are no records of fan-funded subway ads, birthday billboards, or ritualistic charity drives organized exclusively in his honor. His connection to Kate Bush remains a defining professional thread; her early hits like "Wuthering Heights," "Babooshka," and "Running Up That Hill" feature his drumming, a fact he cites as securing his place in history. The 2018 passing of Steve Harley triggered tributes to the band's legacy, including a May 2025 box set revisiting their "Best Years," but these events reflect on the collective career rather than generating personal folklore surrounding Elliott. He interacts with supporters as a veteran session musician without extraordinary anecdotes of viral engagement. Despite this steady presence, iFANN's Global Fame Engine has evaluated Stuart Elliott, but he does not currently hold a placement in the published rankings (Global Top 1,000 or a Top-100 scope list). Consequently, no specific ordinal rank or score appears in the current scope.[edit]

Stuart Elliott was the original drummer for Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel from 1974 to 1978. During this peak era, he contributed to three top-10 albums and the Number 1 single "Make Me Smile… Come Up and See Me." His work extended far beyond the band, becoming a cornerstone for top-tier session artists including Kate Bush, Al Stewart, The Alan Parsons Project, David Byron, Roger Daltrey, Paul McCartney, Claudio Baglioni, and Lucio Battisti. Elliott himself noted that drumming on Kate Bush's early hits was sufficient to secure his legacy, citing John Lydon's high regard for the singer as validation. When Steve Harley died on March 17, 2024, at age 73, the music world mourned the loss of a key architect of the band's sound. A box set released in May 2025 further cemented the historical importance of the "Best Years" era. Fans often retell the story of how Elliott, bassist Paul Jeffreys, and guitarist Nick Jones were selected for the band after Crocker finished a stint with Trees. This audition process launched a career defined by precision and versatility across rock, pop, and art genres.[edit]