Drummer Mickey Waller was a ubiquitous presence on the London rock & roll scene of the 1960s, keeping time behind a series of icons including Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck, and Ron Wood. Born in London on September 6, 1941, Waller cited a viewing of the 1955 film The Benny Goodman Story as the turning point of his formative years: Gene Krupa's powerhouse big-band drumming captivated him, and he later studied under future Marshall Amplification founder Jim Marshall, with the left-hander later attributing his unusual playing style to learning to play on a kit designed for right-handed drummers. Waller made his professional debut in 1960 with the Flee-Rekkers, who scored a minor hit that same year with the Joe Meek-produced "Green Jeans." After a series of short-lived stints with other London groups, he joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars alongside vocalist Long John Baldry, later turning up with Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames and in 1964 filling in for an absent Charlie Watts when the Rolling Stones played Chatham Town Hall.