He was with the orchestra until 1951 when, after a few arguments with Duke over his drinking and increasing unreliability, Greer left to join Johnny Hodges's new group.
He later worked with Red Allen, Tyree Glenn and J.C. Higginbottham.
In 1967 Sonny led his own band and played with Brooks Kerr's trio in the 1970s. Greer had a large array of sounds beyond using the drum kit to generate funky beats. Sonny was one of the first drummers to use other percussion instruments, such as gongs and cymbals and instruments from other cultures; creating the first jungle music. He died Mar 23, 1982 in New York, NY.
Greer had a large array of sounds beyond using the drum kit to generate funky beats, Sonny was one of the first drummers to use other percussion instruments, such as gongs and cymbals and instruments from other cultures; creating the first jungle music.