James Lee "Jim" Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer known primarily for his session work. He has contributed to the work of many well-known artists. Keltner is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was characterized as "the leading session drummer in America" by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes.
| # | Fact |
|---|
| 1 | Profiled in the 1991 book "The Big Beat--Conversations with Rock's Great Drummers", edited by Max Weinberg. |
| 2 | John Lennon, George Harrison, and even Ringo Starr each used him as drummer on many of their solo records. He and Ringo played as a team for The Concert for Bangladesh (1972) and other events, and he chose the musicians to record one of Yoko Ono's albums. |
| 3 | While Gary Lewis played drums from early on, many of his records with the Playboys actually featured Keltner. |
| 4 | He had played with and for countless bands over the years, but he'd never really been a member of one, until Little Village formed (with Ry Cooder, John Hiatt and Nick Lowe) in the late 1980s. |
| 5 | A longtime, well-loved session drummer. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | 2016 | musician: drum orchestra |
| Bessie | 2015 | TV Movie session musician |
| Man of Steel | 2013 | musician: drum orchestra |
| A Place at the Table | 2012 | Documentary musician: drums |
| Elton John & Leon Russell Live from the Beacon Theatre | 2010 | TV Movie musician |
| Synecdoche, New York | 2008 | musician: drums |
| Across the Universe | 2007 | musician: Los Angeles |
| Great Performances | 2007 | TV Series musician - 1 episode |
| Don't Come Knocking | 2005 | musician: drums |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | 2004 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| Concert for George | 2003 | Video documentary musician: drums |
| The Big Lebowski | 1998 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| The End of Violence | 1997 | musician - drums |
| Mr. Holland's Opus | 1995 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| Toy Story | 1995 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| Geronimo: An American Legend | 1993 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| Trespass | 1992 | scoring musician |
| Johnny Handsome | 1989 | musician: drums and percussion |
| Imagine: John Lennon | 1988 | Documentary musician: drums |
| Slam Dance | 1987 | musician: drums |
| Crossroads | 1986 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| Streets of Fire | 1984 | scoring band |
| The Long Riders | 1980 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid | 1973 | musician: drums - uncredited |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Every Night's a Saturday Night | 2016 | Documentary post-production | Himself |
| The Garden's Defining Moments | 2015 | TV Mini-Series | Himself |
| Roy Orbison: Mystery Girl -Unraveled | 2014 | Documentary | Himself |
| Sound City | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
| George Harrison: Living in the Material World | 2011 | Documentary | Himself |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live | 2009 | TV Movie | Himself |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live: Come Together | 2009 | Video | Himself |
| All You Need Is Klaus | 2009 | Documentary | Himself |
| The True History of the Traveling Wilburys | 2007 | Video documentary short | Himself (as Buster Sidebury) |
| Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan | 2006 | Video | Himself |
| Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison and Friends | 2005 | TV Movie documentary |
| Simon and Garfunkel: Old Friends - Live on Stage | 2004 | Video | Himself - Drums |
| Concert for George | 2003 | Video documentary | Himself |
| The Making of 'Brainwashed' | 2002 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| Joe Cocker in Concert | 2001 | Video | Himself |
| Red Rocks Live: Neil Young Friends & Relatives | 2000 | Video documentary | Himself - Drums |
| Joe Cocker: Have a Little Faith | 1996 | Video documentary | Himself |
| The Concert for Bangladesh | 1972 | Documentary | Himself |
| Mad Dogs & Englishmen | 1971 | Documentary | Himself (as The Band) |
