Obituaries Detail

Aaron accepted Jesus Christ at a young age. He was born into a musical family, with his interest om drums first developing through involvement with the church. As a result of his Pentecostal upbringing, Aaron had instilled in him such values as keeping the Lord first in his life, and a strong determination to inspire and encourage other talented drummers. At age 23, Aaron joined a local band in DC called Gideon Band. It was with Gideon band that he really began to express himself as a musician and gained the attention of people not only in his local area but all over the country. It was his work with Gideon Band and the great timing of one of his mentors, Gerald Heyward, which aided him in gaining the attention of Usher's music director Valdez Brantley. Shortly after meeting Brantley, Aaron joined Usher's backing band, The Funk Rock Orchestra. For more than twenty years, Aaron was one of the most passionate, influential yet humble drummers/musicians on the planet. From international tours with pop sensations, like Ariana Grande, to Blazing the stage at the 2006 Modern Drummer Festival, his unique brand of blistering chops, infectious groove, and effortless musicality made him a favorite of drummers around the world. Aaron is also a Grammy nominated music producer, being nominated in 2004 for his work on the Usher album "Confessions." In 2006, Aaron was nominated #1 up and coming drummer by Modern Drummer Magazine. The diverse list of artists Aaron performed, recorded, and toured with includes many of the most iconic names in the industry including Lady Gag, Lil Wayne, Chaka Khan, Israel Houghton, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, The Black Eyed Pead, Miley Cyris, and more. In 2017, he was the house drummer for the "One Love Manchester Benefit Concert" which streamed to the entire world and was viewed by over 22 million people. As a clinician, he toured more than 15 countries, appearing at numerous festivals including the Tam Tam Festival in Seville, Spain.

In addition to touring, Clinician, and recording achievements, Aaron added television to his resume as the music coordinator and the show's drummer for Fox's "The Masked Singer" and the house drummer for NBC's "Songland." In 2018, Aaron was featured with the house band on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Myers" for an entire week. Aaron's list of endorsements is far reaching, including Zildjian, Remo, Ludwig, Clear Tune Monitors (CTM) and Vic Firth, to name a few. In October 2009, Aaron released his first instructional DVD titled "Beyond the Chops." He was also music coordinator and house drummer for the upcoming series, "We are Family," which is to premier in early 2024. Aaron was truly a gift to the world; he urged the younger generation to be patient, wait for things to fall into place, and have faith in the power of the almighty. On March 31, 2012, Aaron married his valentine, Jessica Rae Dobson, and June 3, 2014, their son August Preston, was born. When asked, Aaron declared that despite his musical experiences and career success, he was most proud of his family accomplishments. He was most grateful to be married for 11 years to Jessica, his best friend, and the proud father of his "brilliant 9-year-old son," August. He loved his family and took no greater joy than spending time with them and meeting their every need. They were just like three peas in a pod with August at the center. Every life decision Aaron made was with Jessica and August at the forefront. This made him an incredibly gentle husband and father to his family - Never angry or mean even when correcting. Decisions to accept or refuse certain gigs were family decisions, especially if it meant him being away for an extended period of time. After so many years of traveling and performing thorough the world, Aaron was able in the past few years to return to the place where his love for drumming began - the church.