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James Gadson \u2014 the veteran R&B, soul, funk and rock drummer who played with Bill Withers<\/a>, Marvin Gaye<\/a>, Diana Ross, Paul McCartney<\/a> and many others \u2014 has died at the age of 86.<\/p>\n Gadson’s wife, Barbara, confirmed the news to\u00a0Rolling Stone<\/a><\/em> and told the\u00a0magazine that he’d\u00a0recently undergone surgery and suffered a nasty fall that hurt his back.<\/p>\n “He was a wonderful man,” she said. “He was a great husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and one hell of a drummer.”<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Top 25 Soul Albums of the ’70s<\/a><\/p>\n Born on June 17, 1939 in Kansas City, Missouri, Gadson made a name for himself in the late ’60s playing with Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, with whom he recorded the Top 5 R&B hit “Express Yourself” in 1970. He went on to play on Withers’ classic 1972 album\u00a0Still Bill<\/a><\/em> (featuring the No. 1 hit “Lean on Me”), as well as Gaye’s\u00a0I Want You<\/a><\/em> and Ross’ disco smash “Love Hangover.”<\/p>\n Throughout the ’70s, Gadson\u00a0played with a myriad of other artists including Freddie King, Martha Reeves, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin<\/a>, Albert King and more. He contributed to Donald Fagen<\/a>‘s 1982 solo\u00a0debut\u00a0The Nightfly<\/a><\/em>, and in the 2000s he delved more into rock and pop, playing on McCartney’s\u00a0Chaos and Creation in the Backyard<\/a><\/em>, Justin Timberlake<\/a>‘s\u00a0FutureSex\/LoveSounds<\/em> and a trio of Beck<\/a> albums:\u00a0Sea Change<\/i>,\u00a0The Information<\/em> and\u00a0Morning Phase<\/em>.<\/p>\n As one of the most-recorded drummers in R&B history, Gadson picked up plenty of tips and tricks along the way. His advice for other drummers trying to improve their groove was simple: slow down<\/em>.<\/p>\nJames Gadson’s Life and Career<\/h3>\n
James Gadson’s Advice for Improving the Groove<\/h3>\n