Drummer Topper Headon wasn't an original member of the Clash, but it was his arrival that helped push them to the next musical level, as he quickly became an integral part of the group. Born Nicholas Bowen Headon on May 30, 1955 in Bromely, Kent, Headon grew up a soul and jazz fan (an early influence was ace fusion drummer Billy Cobham), and he was once a member of a local group that opened a show for the Temptations. It was through an acquaintance, guitarist Mick Jones, that Headon got the heads up about a tryout with the Clash in 1977 -- after the group had gone through an extraordinary amount of drummers during their short timespan together. With the group already enjoying a substantial following and signed to Epic Records, Headon agreed to join up with the group. But Headon's original plan was to stay with the Clash for only a year -- which he figured would give enough time to get his name known so he could move on to another more "suitable" group. But Headon quickly realized that the group was not just a one-dimensional punk band, as they branched out and touched upon a wide variety of styles -- all the while never losing sight of their original punk ideals. Headon appeared on such Clash albums as 1978's Give 'Em Enough Rope (on which producer Sandy Pearlman dubbed Headon "The Human Drum Machine," due to his impeccable timing and skills), 1979's classic double-album London Calling, 1980s sprawling triple-album set Sandinista! (which featured one of Headon's few lead vocals with the Clash, "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe"), and 1982's Combat Rock, the latter of which contained the Clash's biggest hit single, "Rock the Casbah," which was almost entirely penned and played by Headon.