Overview
- James Gadson died Thursday, April 2, his wife Barbara told Rolling Stone, noting recent surgery and a bad fall that injured his back.
- He became a go-to studio player in the 1970s, anchoring hits like Bill Withers’ Lean on Me and Use Me, the Jackson 5’s Dancing Machine, Diana Ross’ Love Hangover, Marvin Gaye’s I Want You, and Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.
- Tributes followed from across the industry, with Questlove calling him “breakbeats defined” and Ray Parker Jr. saying they played together for 50 years, while Beck praised his impact on his own records.
- Born in Kansas City and later based in Los Angeles, he first broke through with Charles Wright’s Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band before becoming an in-demand Motown and pop session mainstay.
- His laid-back, precise groove set a template for danceable drums and echoes in later work by artists such as Beck, D’Angelo, Justin Timberlake, and Harry Styles.