Legendary Rock Drummer Zac Farro Turns 36 Today

Zac Farro, the drummer best known for his work with American rock group Paramore, turns 36 today.

The musician was a founding member of the acclaimed rock band, alongside lead vocalist Hayley Williams and his older brother, Josh Farro. Bassist Jeremy Davis was also a member of the core lineup until his exit in 2015.

Paramore quickly became one of the defining voices in American rock in the late '00s, with their albums Riot! and Brand New Eyes spawning multiple Top 10 singles that still define modern rock today.

Farro's strong, forward-thinking drumming has often been praised as one of Paramore's strongest assets, with songs like "The Only Exception", "All I Wanted", and "Brick by Boring Brick" displaying the truth depth and breadth of his talent as a percussionist.

After a period of huge success with the band, during which they became titans of the MTV rock era and developed an enormous cult following, the Farro brothers decided to leave Paramore. The band released an official statement confirming that Zac and Josh were leaving on amicable terms, but the brothers released their own statement a few days later, shedding light on the conflict that led to their departure.

"I had a statement typed ready to post to you guys but Hayley released one without my permission. We were not going to issue a statement until we worked out our exit agreement with Hayley," they wrote. "Hayley claimed that this record reunited us as band and made us grow closer together, when in reality we were all growing further apart. Suddenly, the band had split into two sides."

Unfortunately for Zac and Josh Farro, Paramore's follow-up album was their first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band totally reinvented its sound with new session drummer Ilan Rubin, with tracks such as "Ain't It Fun" displaying their transition from classic rock into new wave, funk-inspired sounds.

The album was a huge success with critics, too, who praised Paramore's ability to reinvent themselves so many years into their career. The record appeared on countless end-of-year "best of" rankings, and the lead single "Ain't It Fun" even won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song.

Meanwhile, Zac Farro had joined a new band alongside his brother called Novel American, with some old friends from high school. But unfortunately, his new group never took off, and it was scrapped in 2014. Three years later, Farro decided to repair his relationship with his old bandmates and rejoined Paramore for their fifth and sixth albums, After Laughter and This Is Why.

Farro remains an active member of Paramore, delivering his signature fierce drumming on every track and continuing to reinvent his style with every passing album.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 2:59 AM.