B 52's drummer Keith Strickland was born as Julian Keith Strickland in Athens, Georgia on 26 October, 1953. Keith is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and one of the founding members of the The B-52's. He was originally the band's drummer, but switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985. Strickland also plays keyboards on many of The B-52's recordings, and occasionally provides backing vocals.