Judy Cocuzza
Cheap Chick

cheapchick.com

Back when she was in Sunday school in West Orange, New Jersey, Judy would get in trouble for tapping her pencil erasers on the desk. So, when she was in 4th grade and lined up to pick an instrument for the school band, the teachers had already decided for her – she would take drums. Of course, this is what she was going to tell them she wanted to take. Judy channeled all that pencil tapping into real drumming and by the time she was in junior high, the teachers were having her play with the high school marching band, concert band and jazz band. When she reached high school, she began playing with a few of the local bands with her classmates.

Knowing that her future lay in music, she began working at Sound Writer Studios in Newark, learning the ropes of engineering and being the in-house session drummer. After one too many east coast winters, Judy decided to move to Los Angeles. She began drumming for heavy dirgecore band Borax, then the pop punk Bobsled, who was signed to Tacklebox/Cargo records. After three years with Bobsled, Judy joined Tadpole and then Betty Blowtorch. Betty Blowtorch became a near-instantaneous phenomenon, getting picked up by Freeze Management even before playing their first show. Their management matched them up with Duff McKagen (Guns ‘n’ Roses) who produced their first EP “Get Off.” After a year and a half of almost constant touring, Betty Blowtorch got signed to Foodchain Records and recorded “Are You Man Enough?” produced and engineered by Matt Hyde (Porno for Pyros, Slayer, Monster Magnet) and mixed by Joe Barresi (Hole, Veruca Salt, Pennywise, L7). The band was featured in Spin, Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Drum!, and numerous other national and local publications. The pace became relentless with national touring dates, a spot on the Warped Tour and an appearance in the film “Bubble Boy” thrown into the mix. Much of this touring was filmed for what later became the award-winning documentary, “The True Life Adventures of Betty Blowtorch.”

After the break-up of the Betty Blowtorch, a second CD, “Last Call,” was released and was chosen as on of the top ten releases of the year by Steve Knopper in Rolling Stone Magazine. Judy currently plays with all-female Cheap Trick tribute band - Cheap Chick, Stay at Home Bomb, The Neptunas, and her latest original project, Theodore.

In addition to playing and recording, Judy now freelances with various artists, gives private lessons and leads clinics in Southern California. Judy is proud that Mapex is part of her list of endorsements, which include Vater sticks, Remo heads, and Paiste cymbals.