James Gadson, the legendary drummer whose work appeared on countless records over the decades, including the classic “Ain’t No Sunshine,” has passed away.
Videos by Suggest
The R&B legend’s wife, Barbara, confirmed the sad news to Rolling Stone.
She said the 86-year-old had recently faced health challenges, including surgery and a bad fall that injured his back.
“He was a wonderful man,” Barbara told the outlet. “He was a great husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and one hell of a drummer.”
A Kansas City native, Gadson played on his local scene for years before moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. He got his start as the drummer for early versions of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, the backing group for soul-funk artist Charles Wright, who scored several hits in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
In 1970, Wright and his band released the influential album Express Yourself. His distinctive drumming on the album’s title track was later famously sampled by N.W.A. for their classic song of the same name.
According to Soul Tracks, after the release of the 1971 album You’re So Beautiful, Gadson and most of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band left to join Bill Withers. They played on his 1972 album Still Bill, which featured the #1 hit “Lean On Me.”
James Gadson’s Prolific Session Musician Career Included Working with The Temptations and Diana Ross
Gadson then began a prolific career as a session musician. He played on records for artists like The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5, Quincy Jones, and Herbie Hancock.
His drumming can also be heard on disco classics like Diana Ross’s “Love Hangover” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive.” Gadson was also a singer and songwriter who released occasional indie-label singles, including the 1971 track “Got To Find My Baby.”
Gadson continued to accumulate credits throughout the ’80s, playing on records for artists like Ray Charles and Teena Marie. He also played on Leonard Cohen’s 1992 album, The Future. In 2002, Beck enlisted Gadson for his album Sea Change. Gadson would go on to contribute to Beck’s later albums, The Information and Morning Phase.
Over the past two decades, Gadson’s name appeared in the credits for records by Justin Timberlake, Lana Del Rey, Harry Styles, and Sturgill Simpson, among many others. In 2014, he played on “Sugah Daddy” from D’Angelo’s album Black Messiah.
