Daniel James Platzman is a musician, composer, and songwriter from the United States. He performs on drums for the Grammy-winning band Imagine Dragons. In addition, he has played trumpet in a concert band, violin in a pit band, viola in an orchestra, guitar/vocals in a rock band, and bass in a Manhattan nightclub. Daniel and his Las Vegas-based rock band Imagine Dragons have published two critically acclaimed albums as of 2015. He and the band shared the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance. He has participated in the Kennedy Center’s famous Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. Additionally, he has performed with the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra, the Urban Outreach Jazz Orchestra, and the Berklee Rainbow Big Band. He is the recipient of both the Vic Firth Award for Outstanding Musicianship and the Michael Rennish Award for Film Scoring. Platzman was featured on the cover of the March 2015 issue of Drum! magazine and was also highlighted in the May 2015 issue.
Daniel Platzman’s Career
Daniel Platzman began his career as a drummer at college and community events. He performed in a guitar group alongside bandmates Wayne Sermon and Ben McKee. McKee, a classmate of Platzman’s, was invited to join the rock band Imagine Dragons in 2008. McKee then invited Daniel to join the band as a drummer.
Initially, the band performed at local events, garnering a number of local honors and awards, including ‘Best CD of 2011’ from Vegas SEVEN, ‘Best Local Indie Band 2010’ from Las Vegas Weekly, and ‘Las Vegas’ New Must-See Live Act’ from Las Vegas CityLife.
The band inked a contract with Interscope Records in November 2011 and began working on an album with producer Alex da Kid. In 2012, they published their debut album, Night Visions, which brought the band mainstream success.
The album reached at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 list and received the 2014 Billboard Music Award for Best Rock Album. One of the tracks, ‘It’s Time,’ reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified multi-platinum by the RIAA.
The second single, ‘Radioactive,’ became even more famous, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and receiving a diamond certification from the RIAA. The single’s 23 straight weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart set a new record. It also became the best-selling rock song in Nielsen SoundScan’s history. ‘Radioactive’ was nominated for two Grammy Awards, winning Best Rock Performance.
The 2015 release of Imagine Dragons’ second album, ‘Smoke + Mirrors,’ was likewise a success. It topped the Billboard 200, the UK Albums Chart, and the Canadian Albums Chart. I Bet My Life and Shots were also hit songs.
The band performed songs for a number of movies, including “Ready Aim Fire” for “Iron Man 3,” “Who We Are” for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” and “Battle Cry” for “Transformers: Age of Extinction.”
Platzman produced the original theme for the investigative documentary series ‘Africa Investigates’, which premiered on Al Jazeera English in 2014. He also made musical contributions to the film Best F(r)iends.
Daniel Platzman’s Personal Life
Daniel Platzman, who was born on September 28, 1986, in Atlanta, Georgia, attended Berklee College of Music and obtained a degree in film scoring. He played with the Berklee Concert Jazz Orchestra, the Urban Outreach Jazz Orchestra, and the Berklee Rainbow Big Band during his time at Berklee.
Estimated Net Worth
Daniel Platzman is one of the wealthiest and most well-known drummers. According to our investigation, Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider, Daniel Platzman has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million.