This Will Surprise You About Chevy Chase

One of our favorite comedy actors, Chevy Chase, is celebrating his 81st birthday today!

He was born Cornelius Crane Chase on October 8, 1943, and got the nickname “Chevy” while growing up in Woodstock, New York.

We first met him during the first season of “Saturday Night Live,” and then we really fell in love with him in ’80s movies like “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” “Fletch,” and “Caddyshack.”

He has kept us laughing for years, so when we heard that he was very nearly a drummer in a famous rock band, well, we had to do a double take!

There has been a rumor going around online for years that Chevy Chase once played drums in a band that later became Steely Dan.

Turns out, it’s true!

Chase did play drums in a band with Steely Dan founding members Donald Fagen and Walter Becker while they were students at Bard College in New York.

An authorized biography about Chase, published in 2007, referred to his drumming days and said Chase ultimately didn’t think he was good enough and left the band.

We had no idea that Chase could have been a rock n’ roller… if he had stuck with it, just think, we would have missed out on all the fun of “Christmas Vacation” and “Three Amigos!”

We’re glad things worked out this way… happy 81st birthday to Chevy Chase!