Clyde Stubblefield

Clyde Stubblefield was one of the most influential drummers in American music. During his time with James Brown, he basically invented the funk groove that would be a crucial element of both R&B and hip hop for decades to come. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Stubblefield worked with a number of blues and R&B artists before taking up the drum stool in Brown's band, most notably Otis Redding. On Brown cuts like "Cold Sweat" and "Say It Loud -I'm Black and I'm Proud" Stubblefield created a syncopated beat that was simultaneously supple, sensual, and powerful, forging the template for funk that was copied and/or adapted by countless artists forever after. But the defining moment of Stubblefield's career came towards the end of his tenure with Brown, when he played on the 1970 single "Funky Drummer." Though it was only a minor hit at the time, the song underlined Stubblefield's contribution to Brown's sound, with Brown calling out to the drummer mid-song as a lead-in to Stubblefield's now-legendary drum break. Many years later, that break became one of the most ubiquitous samples in recorded music, appearing on tracks by everyone from Public Enemy to Nicki Minaj. After exiting Brown's band, Stubblefield moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where he would live for the rest of his life, fronting his own band for decades. After becoming aware of his impact on the sampling revolution and his lack of remuneration for the same, Stubblefield tried to assert his musical identity with solo albums like 1997's The Revenge of the Funky Drummer and 2002's The Original Funky Drummer Breakbeat Album. He also played on recordings by old bandmates like Fred Wesley and took part in a reunion of Brown band alumni called The J.B.'s, recording Bring the Funk on Down with them in 1999. Stubblefield died of kidney failure on February 18, 2017 at the age of 73, but The Funky Drummer lives forever.