Kent Blackmer started playing drums when he was seven years old. More than six decades later, he is still at it. The 73-year-old Navy veteran, who served from 1969 to 1973 and patrolled the Vietnamese coast, now plays drums for the Nobby Reed Project, a blues band that recently performed at Taylor Park in Saint Albans, Vermont. Between gigs, he mixes the band’s live recordings, something he says keeps his mind engaged.
His path back to music was not a straight line. After his service, Blackmer gave college a try and left after a year, feeling like he did not belong there. He has spoken candidly about the pain and misery he carried quietly from his time in the Navy, describing it as PTSD. For him, music became one of the ways to stay active, connected, and grounded.
That story resonates here on the Suncoast, where so many residents are veterans, retirees, or snowbirds who reinvented themselves after a major life change. Whether it is a guitar, a pottery wheel, a boat, or a weekly jam session at a local bar, having something that demands your attention and rewards your effort makes a difference at any age. Blackmer is not slowing down. He is keeping the beat.
Do you have a hobby or creative passion you have stuck with for decades? Tell us about it in the comments.
