James Gadson, the respected drummer whose work shaped numerous classic funk, soul, and disco tracks, has passed away at the age of 86.
His wife Barbara shared the news with Rolling Stone, explaining that he had recently gone through surgery following several health issues. Among these was a serious fall that resulted in a back injury.
“He was a wonderful man,” Barbara said. “He was a great husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and one hell of a drummer.”
Throughout the 1970s, Gadson built a reputation as one of the most important drummers in soul music. His playing can be heard on songs like Bill Withers’ 1972 tracks ‘Lean On Me’ and ‘Use Me’, along with The Jackson 5’s ‘Dancing Machine’ from 1974 and Diana Ross’ ‘Love Hangover’ released in 1976.
During that same period he also performed on major recordings including ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ by Thelma Houston and Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Want You’, both released in 1976. By then he had become one of the most sought after session drummers in the business and was also a consistent part of Gaye’s touring lineup.
Born on June 17, 1939 in Kansas City, Missouri, Gadson first gained major recognition as the drummer for Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. He contributed to several of their albums and played on their signature 1970 track ‘Express Yourself’.
His reputation as a reliable and versatile musician led to collaborations with an impressive list of artists across the decades. Among those he worked with were The Temptations, Leonard Cohen, Gladys Knight, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Bobby Womack, Beck, D’Angelo, Justin Timberlake, and Harry Styles.
Fellow drummer Questlove was among those who honored Gadson, posting on Instagram: “Some drummers are soulful. Some drummers are funky. Some drummers are a rockin’. Some drummers are swinging but NO drummer has impacted the art of breakbeat drummer (danceable drums) like James Gadson.”
Ray Parker Jr. also shared his memories, writing: “We played together over 50 years. He changed the world.”
