Premier Music International Limited is an English musical instruments manufacturing company based in Kibworth. The company, founded in 1922, currently produces drum kits, sticks and accessories.[1]
History
Premier was established in 1922 when a drummer, Albert Della Porta, partnered with George Smith to establish a company. They set up on Berwick Street in London, and were soon joined by Albert's brother Fred, who eventually became the first sales manager of the recently created company.
Premier Percussion, South Wigston (2005)Premier Percussion (2005)
In the beginning, they manufactured drums for other companies like John E. Dallas (with the "Jedson" trademark), then starting with "Premier" instruments. Early drum kits consisted of a bass drum, a snare, a stand, a cymbal, and sometimes a small tom-tom. The company grew to two factories, ending up in West London's Park Royal. By 1938 they were also producing brass instruments, as well as supplying drums to the armed forces. The company even built a guitar called "Premier Vox", in the early 1930s.[2]
During World War II, the Government forced Premier to manufacture gun sights and electrical plugs and sockets for radar equipment. After the West London factory was bombed in 1940, the company moved to the Leicestershire town of South Wigston, where they occupied three small factories.[3]
By 1986, Premier was one of the biggest factories in South Wigston, with 100,000 square feet covered and 180 employees. The company also exported its products to 120 countries.[4] However, in 2005 after 65 years of activity, Premier finally closed the factory and the entire site was eventually demolished in 2017.[5] Once established in its new home in Kibworth Harcourt, Leicestershire, the brand was purchased by the online retailer Gear4music on 21 June 2021.[6]
Artists
Premier's replica of the classic "Pictures of Lily" Keith Moon's drumkitPremier Impression bass drumPremier 1920s 'jazz' drum kit
^"Nicko McBrain celebrates 20 years with Premier Drums". musicradar.com. Future Publishing Limited. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
^"Premier drums to return to UK manufacture by 2012 (in time to celebrate its 90th anniversary!)". drumcool.com. Drumcool. 28 December 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
^"1967–1968 Pictures of Lily kit | Keith Moon's Drumkits | Whotabs". thewho.net. Whotabs. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
^"Phil Selway's Rig". thekingofgear.com. The King of Gear. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
^"History". drumset.premier-percussion.com. Premier Percussion. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
^ abcYouell, Andy. "Premier". drumarchive.com. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
^Ltd, Eazytiger. "News – Premier launches British-made Modern Classic drum set". drumset.premier-percussion.com. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
^"Vintage Olympic - a unique online history of Olympic drums". vintageolympic.co.uk. Vintage Olympic. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
^"Olympic". drumset.premier-percussion.com. Premier Percussion. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
^"Miscellaneous | Keith Moon's Drumkits | Whotabs". thewho.net. Whotabs. 9 January 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
External links
Media related to Premier Percussion at Wikimedia Commons