Robert Gregory Bourdon (born January 20, 1979)^[1][2] is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founding member of the rock band Linkin Park.^[3]

Bourdon was born in Calabasas, California.^[1] He received classical piano lessons at a young age.^[4] He was inspired to play the drums after attending an Aerosmith concert, where he was personally introduced to drummer Joey Kramer.^[4][5] He also cites Tower of Power and Earth, Wind and Fire as his early influences.^[5] Bourdon attended Agoura High School in Agoura Hills where he met future bandmates Brad Delson and Mike Shinoda, in the high school's jazz band.^[5] Bourdon waited tables at a restaurant and worked as a party coordinator at a bowling alley prior to becoming a full-time musician.^[6] He attended Santa Monica College where he studied accounting.^[6]

Bourdon and Brad Delson formed their own band, Relative Degree.^[5] The band played a sell-out concert at the Roxy Theatre before breaking up.^[5]

Bourdon later joined Delson and Mike Shinoda to form Linkin Park, then known as Xero, in 1996.^[6] The band enjoyed mainstream success with their debut album Hybrid Theory (2000), which would later go on to become 12× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[6] Bourdon served as Linkin Park's drummer for seven studio albums and many international tours.^[6] Beyond drums and percussion, he also handled the band's business operations with Delson and Dave Farrell.^[4] Bourdon injured his back during the production of the band's sixth studio album, The Hunting Party, after playing for 10 hours a day for 7 consecutive days but later recovered.^[7] He remained with Linkin Park through 2017, when the band went on hiatus following the death of front man and vocalist Chester Bennington.^[8]

Bourdon's musical influences include Led Zeppelin, Tower of Power, Aerosmith, The Police, Bad Religion, Steely Dan, System of a Down, Incubus, and Dave Matthews Band.^[9]

Bourdon resides in Los Angeles.^[10] He is Jewish.^[11]