James Kottak (December 26, 1962 – January 9, 2024) was an American drummer, best known for his work with the German hard rock band Scorpions, which he joined in 1996. At the time of his firing from the band in 2016, he was their longest-serving drummer. Kottak was also an original member of Kingdom Come, of whom he was their drummer from 1987 to 1989 and again from 2018 to his death in 2024.
Prior to joining Scorpions, Kottak was a drummer for Nuthouse, Apex, the Bob Brickley Band, Mister Charlie, Buster Brown, Montrose, Kingdom Come, Wild Horses, the McAuley Schenker Group, Warrant, and Ashba. As a teenager in Louisville, he had a strong local presence in several live bands, including the fusion group Nuthouse, which also featured his Durrett High School bandmate Don Braden (later a world-renowned jazz saxophonist). He received a music scholarship to the University of Louisville.
His first instrument was the trumpet, but he later fell in love with the drums around age of 9 and started playing in local bars at the age of 15.
In 1987, Kottak was part of the band Buster Brown, a group from Louisville, Kentucky, when guitarist Ronnie Montrose recruited both Kottak and vocalist Johnny Edwards for his new album Mean. This collaboration further showcased Kottak's versatile drumming skills. That same year, Kottak relocated to Los Angeles to pursue further opportunities in the music industry, after being recommended by RATT's drummer Bobby Blotzer, who had seen him perform at a bar in Louisville.
In the follow year, Kottak gained early mainstream exposure during his time with Kingdom Come, appearing on the band's first two studio albums, the first of which included their biggest hit, "Get It On". This track prominently features Kottak's drumming, culminating in a drum solo just before the song's conclusion. Around 1990, Kottak joined The Cult, but left after the first batch of demos for their then-upcoming fifth studio album Ceremony, in which the album's drum tracks were done by Mickey Curry.
In 1993, James Kottak joined the glam metal band Warrant as their drummer, contributing to the recording of the album Ultraphobic (1995), which marked a sonic shift for the group, incorporating hard rock and grunge influences in response to the evolving music scene of the time. His tenure with the band lasted until 1996.
James Kottak joined the Scorpions in 1996, replacing longtime drummer Herman Rarebell who had left the band in 1995 to focus on other projects, and as part of the search for a new drummer, he recommended Kottak, with whom he had developed a good rapport during the Monsters of Rock Tour in 1988. At that time, Kottak was playing with Kingdom Come, a band that shared the festival lineup alongside Metallica, Dokken, Scorpions, and Van Halen.
Kottak had previously collaborated with Michael Schenker in the McAuley Schenker Group, contributing to the recording of the album MSG in 1991. His experience and versatility caught the attention of producer Keith Olsen, renowned for producing iconic albums such as Crazy World (1990) and Pure Instinct (1996) with Scorpions, as well as In Your Face (1989) with Kingdom Come. Olsen, who had previously chosen Kottak for other projects, further reinforced Rarebell's recommendation. Although Kottak did not record the Pure Instinct album, he was invited for a successful audition and officially becoming the first non-German member of the Scorpions.
In February 1997, he joined Dio on their U.S. tour by filling in for Vinny Appice for four or five shows when the latter had pneumonia. He also gave drum lessons at Far-Out Music in Jeffersonville, Indiana, once having onetime Bride drummer, Jerry McBroom as a student. He played with guitarist Michael Lee Firkins and also collaborated with DJ Ashba on his solo album "Addiction to the Friction".
That same year, James Kottak took part in a tribute album dedicated to Rod Stewart, which reimagined his classic songs with a hard rock approach. The project featured renowned musicians such as John Corabi (ex-Mötley Crüe), Eric Singer (Kiss), and Jani Lane (Warrant). Kottak contributed his drumming talents to the track “Rock My Plimsoul” with Jeff Pilson and C.C DeVille.
Kottak also played in his own band Kottak (formerly known as KrunK), serving as both the lead vocalist and guitarist, often performing with Dean guitars.
He participated in the band World War III, performing as the drummer alongside Mandy Lion (vocals), Kurt James (guitar), and Jimmy Bain (bass) during their 2009 performance at the Key Club in West Hollywood.
He had many other connections and contributions with musicians including Alan Krigger, Darren Wharton (Dare), Robbie Crane, Phil Soussan, CC DeVille and Kelly Hansen in Needle Park, Tommy Henriksen, George Lynch, Willie Basse, Uli John Roth, bassist Sean McNabb, Robin Brock and many others.
In 2013, James Kottak formed the group Project Rock with Keri Kelli, Rudy Sarzo, and Tim "Ripper" Owens. The project was conceived as a collaboration between experienced musicians to perform classic hard rock songs with new arrangements. That same year, the band toured Russia and played at several European festivals, gaining recognition for their energetic performances with a set composed by songs of Alice Cooper, Dio, Judas Priest, Scorpions and so on.
Later, the group was renamed A New Revenge and released their debut album, Enemies & Lovers, in 2019 through Golden Robot Records. The album included original tracks like "Never let you go" and "The Way", blending influences of classic hard rock with a modern approach. However, due to the members' individual commitments, the band was unable to go on a tour to promote the album.
On April 28, 2016, it was announced that Kottak would be replaced by Mikkey Dee on 12 North American headlining dates, including a run of shows at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas dubbed "Scorpions blacked out in Las Vegas". On September 12, 2016, it was announced that Kottak was no longer in the band.
In 2017, James Kottak joined the rock 'n' roll band BRIGADE alongside renowned musicians Howard Leese (guitar), Robin McAuley (vocals), and Jason Boyleston (bass). The band stood out for their performance at the Ronnie Montrose Remembered event in 2017, a tribute to the legendary guitarist Ronnie Montrose.
In addition to his work, Kottak was also a notable presence at the Bonzo Bash, a recurring tribute event celebrating the legacy of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham.