Clyde Stubblefield, the ‘Funky Drummer’ for James Brown, Passed Away

CORRECTION:
MR. STUBBLEFIELD HAS PASSED AWAY 3 YEARS AGO BUT IT WENT UNDER OUR RADAR. THANKS TO GOOD PEOPLE WHO CHECK OUR BLOG DAILY FOR THE CORRECTION. R.I.P. FUNKY DRUMMER

Clyde Stubblefield, drummer for James Brown‘s band, passed away at 73 last Saturday. His manager advised that cause was kidney failure. Clyde drummed his way to immortality back in 1969 when he recorded a solo for James Brown’s Funky Drummer. That brief snippet of percussion excellence became the foundation of Hip-Hop’s sampling era. Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power,” LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out,” Boogie Down Productions’ “South Bronx,” Sinead O’Connor’s “I Am Stretched on Your Grave,” George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” and Kenny G’s “G-Bop” are just a few of the hit records where the Funky Drummer break appeared as a sample, and over a thousand more, from the 1980s to the present day. It made Clyde Stubblefield perhaps the most sampled drummer in history.

BlackoutHipHop extends condolences to Clyde Stubblefield‘s family and friends.

Via nytimes.com