# Zoro: From Janitor to World‑Class Drummer and Minister of Groove :: Ep 33 Circling the Drain

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/circling-the-drain-7467223/zoro-from-janitor-to-world-class-drummer-and-minister-of-groove-ep-33-circling-the-drain
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/circling-the-drain-7467223/zoro-from-janitor-to-world-class-drummer-and-minister-of-groove-ep-33-circling-the-drain.md
Podcast: [Circling The Drain](https://stenobird.com/podcast/circling-the-drain-7467223)
Published: 2026-04-08T10:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://share.transistor.fm/s/9be35fcd
Audio file: https://media.transistor.fm/9be35fcd/006f763a.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/circling-the-drain-7467223/episodes/zoro-from-janitor-to-world-class-drummer-and-minister-of-groove-ep-33-circling-the-drain
Duration seconds: 5133

## Resource

In this powerful episode of Circling the Drain, Johnny B and Jay Harper sit down with legendary drummer Zoro (Lenny Kravitz, Bobby Brown, and more) to explore his extraordinary journey from growing up in Compton and rural Oregon poverty to becoming a world‑class musician, author, speaker, and “Minister of Groove.” Zoro shares how a humble janitor job unlocked his destiny, why he believes gifts come from God as seeds that must be cultivated, and how a life of service, not self, leads to real joy. He also opens up about his memoir “Maria’s Scarf,” his faith journey, encounters with major celebrities like Denzel Washington and Lenny Kravitz, and the spiritual principles that have guided his life through hardship, rejection, and eventual breakthrough. If you’ve ever felt behind, overlooked, or discouraged about your calling, this episode will challenge and inspire you to keep going. Timed highlights [0:01:34] Zoro joins: life in Tennessee, weather, and growing up doing hard manual labor [0:02:27] Early jobs: groundskeeper, mowing, John Deere mishap, and not being afraid of work [0:05:54] First “real job” and discovering taxes as a kid [0:06:50] What got Zoro into drumming and his view that gifts are God‑given [0:07:29] Growing up in Compton, soul music, Motown, and the “ghetto drum set” in a Radio Flyer wagon [0:09:50] Playing on the sidewalk, earning quarters, and sensing a calling [0:10:05] Destiny, spiritual warfare, and why opposition often accompanies your purpose [0:11:40] Moving from Compton to rural Oregon and years of rejection from school band programs [0:13:20] The janitor job that changed everything: sneaking onto the drums after hours [0:15:00] Discovered while drumming on the job and suddenly needed in every school band [0:16:19] From 62 absences to showing u…

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## Transcript

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