Keef Hartley (born Keith Hartley in Preston, Lancashire, England on 8 April 1944; died 26 November 2011) was a British drummer and bandleader. Hartley's career began as the replacement for Ringo Starr as drummer for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, a popular Liverpool-based band. Subsequently he played and recorded with The Artwoods then achieved some notability as John Mayall's drummer before forming the Keef Hartley Band, mixing elements of jazz, blues, and rock and roll into a jazz-rock sound comparable to Blood, Sweat, and Tears and Chicago.