I'm glad to see the number of people who took the time to add to this topic, I learned a lot from your responses. Some names like Calvin Rodgers,Spanky,Weckl,Chris Dave,Ron Bruner came up numerous times. I expected to get the various view and I got what I expected. No one on this
EARTH creates or develops anything out of
NOTHING.There is always something or someone to spark the Creativity within them.All of our Drum Hero's Emulated are/or were inspired by someone else,They took(Copied,Stole,borrowed,Emulated etc....etc...) what they liked and it developed it.It's highly impossible that you'll sound exactly alike, Now we might be able to tell that you've been listening to or studying intensely a particular drummer by you attempting to pull off or Pull of a particular lick......But I doubt you'll sound exactly like them.So instead of saying you sound like Dennis or Spanky we should be saying "It sound like he's been listening to Dennis or Spanky of whomever". Vinnie Colaiuta listened to a lot of Tony Williams, Calvin Rodgers listened to a lot of Vinnie, I'm not saying that's all they listened to but I'm quite sure they listened to them a lot. So Imitation is good it will always come out being you and Imitation is good as long as you don't start dressing like you Drum Hero.
Peace