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James Gadson, a prolific session drummer who played on hit records by the likes of Diana Ross, the Jackson 5, and Bill Withers, has died. \u201cHe was a great husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, and one hell of a drummer,\u201d Gadson\u2019s wife, Barbara, told Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a>. She said that Gadson had recently undergone surgery and suffered a bad fall. He was 86.<\/p>\n Gadson was born in Kansas City, Misouri, in 1939. His father, also a drummer, bought James and his brother Thomas cornets so they could join the drum corps at their school. After serving in the Air Force, Gadson played keyboards and sang in his brother\u2019s band, before eventually switching to the drums. He also backed up musicians who came through Kansas City on tour, including Otis Redding and Sam Cooke.<\/p>\n It was after he relocated to Los Angeles that Gadson crossed paths with Motown\u2019s Hal Davis, who tapped him to sit in on the session for \u201cDancing Machine<\/a>\u201d by the Jackson 5. Gadson\u2019s work behind the kit can also be heard on \u201cLean on Me<\/a>\u201d and \u201cUse Me<\/a>\u201d\u2014both by Withers\u2014Gloria Gaynor\u2019s \u201cI Will Survive,\u201d and Thelma Houston\u2019s cover of \u201cDon\u2019t Leave Me This Way.\u201d<\/p>\n There are only a few songs released under Gadson\u2019s own name: the 1976 disco single \u201cGo By What\u2019s in Your Heart<\/a>\u201d and two 7-inches\u2014\u201cGood Vibrations<\/a> \/ Just to Love You Girl\u201d and \u201cGot to Find My Baby<\/a> \/ Let the Feeling Belong<\/a>\u201d\u2014that were later included on Hi Records\u2019 Soul Searching<\/em><\/a> compilation in 1995. Still, his later-career credits range from Beck\u2019s Sea Change<\/em><\/a> to Justin Timberlake\u2019s FutureSex\/LoveSounds<\/em><\/a> to, more recently, Harry Styles\u2019 Fine Line<\/em><\/a>. That\u2019s also him slapping his legs on \u201cSugah Daddy<\/a>\u201d from D\u2019Angelo and the Vanguard\u2019s Black Messiah<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cSome drummers are soulful. Some drummers are funky. Some drummer are a rockin. Some drummers are swinging,\u201d Questlove wrote in a tribute on Instagram<\/a>, \u201cbut NO drummer, has impacted the art of breakbeat drummer (danceable drums) like James Gadson.\u201d<\/p>\n