Early rock ‘n’ roll drummer Jimmy Van Eaton dies aged 86

Van Eaton played on early rock n’ roll hits for artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis (Alamy/PA)

JM “Jimmy” Van Eaton, a pioneering rock n’ roll drummer who played behind the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Lee Riley at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee, has died aged 86, a family member said.

Van Eaton, a Memphis native who came to the famous record label as a teenager, died at home in Alabama on Friday after dealing with a number of health issues over the last year, The Commercial Appeal of Memphis reported. His wife, Deborah, confirmed his death.