Peter Edward “Ginger” Baker, the irascible drummer best known for his work with Cream, celebrates his 80th birthday today.

He began playing at 15, and prior to Cream he was a member of Blues Incorporated with future Cream bassist Jack Bruce. Despite the two of them always locking horns, they also went on to play together in the Graham Bond Organisation.

After Cream, which was rounded out by Eric Clapton, Baker joined Clapton and Steve Winwood in Blind Faith.

Ginger Baker’s Air Force followed before he moved to Africa in the ’70s where he set up a recording studio and worked with Fela Kuti, a Nigerian musician, composer, pioneer of the Afrobeat genre and human rights activist.

In the ’80s Baker moved to Italy where he had an olive farm. It was at this time that he also kicked his longtime addiction to heroin.

After Italy it was off to Los Angeles, followed by Colorado where he raised polo ponies. After a tax dispute with the IRS he took his horses and moved to South Africa.

Along the way he has had numerous bands, but struggling financially, his Cream bandmates bailed him out when they reunited for shows in London and New York in 2005.

In 2012, Baker was the subject on an acclaimed documentary, Beware Mr. Baker, which took a candid, in-depth look at his turbulent life.

Ginger’s most recent solo album, Why?, was released in 2014. In 2016, he announced plans to tour with a new group called Air Force 3, but was forced to cancel the trek after experiencing serious heart issues, as well as a bad fall. He’s been inactive since then.