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Wikipedia / James Gadson

James Edward Gadson (June 17, 1939 – April 2, 2026) was an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson became one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He was also a singer and songwriter.

Life and career

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on June 17, 1939, and raised there, Gadson, who was of African American heritage, played with the first line-up of Charles Wright's Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, and recorded three albums with them between 1968 and 1970. Along with other members of Wright's band, he went on to appear on many hit records, including with Dyke & the Blazers. Gadson started to become well known as a drummer following the release of the album Still Bill by Bill Withers, released by Sussex Records in 1972. He played on the Temptations album 1990, released on the Motown label in 1973.

In 1975, he played with Freddie King on Larger Than Life and went on to record with Martha Reeves, Randy Crawford, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, Albert King, Rose Royce, Elkie Brooks and many more artists. In 1975, he anchored the Motown classic double platinum album City Of Angels, recorded by Billy Griffin & The Miracles.

Gadson was also the drummer on Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" in 1976 and Diana Ross's hit 1976 single "Love Hangover". He drummed on Thelma Houston's breakout disco hit, "Don't Leave Me This Way" (1976), recorded at Motown's West Hollywood studio complex.

He appeared on two tracks, "At the Mercy" and "Riding to Vanity Fair", on the 2005 Paul McCartney album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.

Gadson had a brief appearance in the 2009 Adam Sandler film Funny People as a member of the jam band that Sandler's character hires to play with him.

In April 2009, Gadson joined Alex Dixon, grandson of Willie Dixon, on his 2009 release Rising from the Bushes, appearing on the tracks "Fantasy" and Willie Dixon's song "Spoonful".

In June 2009, Gadson joined Beck, Wilco, Feist and Jamie Lidell covering Skip Spence's Oar as part of Beck's Record Club series, with videos appearing on Beck's website beginning November 2009. He has drummed on Beck's albums Sea Change, The Information and Morning Phase, as well as Jamie Lidell's 2010 album Compass. Gadson played drums, as well as hambone (slapping his legs), on the D'Angelo song "Sugah Daddy", on the Black Messiah album (2014). He appeared in the 2016 video for "Mama Can't Help You No More", by Doyle Bramhall II.

In 2019, Gadson, who resided in Los Angeles, was featured on Gordon Ramsay's 24 Hours to Hell and Back as his paternal niece's and nephew-in-law's restaurant, Bayou on the Vine, was renamed "Gadson's Restaurant & Jazz Club", named after him and his late brother, guitarist Thomas Maurice 'Tutty' Gadson (died 2014).

Gadson died on April 2, 2026, at the age of 86.

Discography

Singles

  • "Express Yourself" (Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Band) – (1970)

  • "Lean On Me" (Bill Withers) – (1972)

  • "Use Me" (Bill Withers) – (1972)

  • "Got To Find My Baby" / "Let The Feeling Belong" (James Gadson) – Cream Records 1014 – (1972)

  • "Good Vibrations" / "Just To Love You Girl" (James Gadson)– Cream Records 1019 – (1972)

  • "Dancing Machine" (Jackson 5) – (1974)

  • "I Want You" (Marvin Gaye) – (1976)

  • "Love Hangover" (Diana Ross) – (1976)

  • "Go By What's In Your Heart" / "Go By What's In Your Heart" (James Gadson) – United Artists UA-XW815-Y – (1976)

  • "More Than a Woman" (Tavares) – (1978)

  • "Got To Be Real" (Cheryl Lynn) – (1978)

  • "Reunited" (Peaches & Herb) – (1979)

  • "I Will Survive" (Gloria Gaynor) – (1979)

  • "Get Up" (Vernon Burch) – (1979)

  • "If You Think You're Lonely Now" (Bobby Womack) – (1981)

James Gadson & Lou Washington

  • Gadson & Washington – "Ain't No Way To Live" / "Indian Village" – B And W Records – BW-011, B And W Records – BW-012 (12-inch 33rpm single)

As sideman

With Mindi Abair

  • In Hi-Fi Stereo (Heads Up, 2010)

  • Wild Heart (Heads Up, 2014)

With Arthur Adams

  • Back on Track (Blind Pig, 1999)

  • Soul of the Blues (PM Records, 2004)

  • Stomp the Floor (Delta Groove, 2009)

  • Here to Make You Feel Good (Cleopatra, 2019)

  • Kick Up Some Dust (Cleopatra, 2023)

With Alessi Brothers

  • Driftin (A&M Records, 1979)

With Herb Alpert

With Corinne Bailey Rae

With Philip Bailey

With Anita Baker

With Jimmy Barnes

With Beck

With Booker T. & the M.G.'s

With Doyle Bramhall II

With Dianne Brooks

  • Back Stairs in My Life (Reprise Records, 1976)

With Elkie Brooks

With Randy Brown

  • Intimately (Parachute, 1979)

With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole

With Solomon Burke

With Jerry Butler

  • Power Of Love (Mercury Records, 1973)

With Terry Callier

With G. C. Cameron

  • You're What's Missing in My Life (Motown, 1977)

With Jean Carn

With David Castle

  • Castle in the Sky (Casablanca, 1977)

  • Love You Forever (Casablanca, 1979)

With Paddy Casey

With Ray Charles

With Kelly Clarkson

With Jimmy Cliff

  • Follow My Mind (Reprise, 1975)

With Joe Cocker

With Adam Cohen

  • Adam Cohen (Columbia Records, 1998)

With Leonard Cohen

With Natalie Cole

With Nikka Costa

With Randy Crawford

With Jamie Cullum

With D'Angelo

With Lana Del Rey

With Jackie DeShannon

With Marcella Detroit

With The 5th Dimension

  • High on Sunshine (Motown, 1978)

With Donovan

With Yvonne Elliman

With The Emotions

With Enchantment

With Donald Fagen

With Yvonne Fair

  • The Bitch Is Black (Motown, 1975)

With José Feliciano

  • José Feliciano (Motown, 1981)

With Four Tops

With Aretha Franklin

With Toko Furuuchi

With Charlotte Gainsbourg

  • IRM (Beck, 2009)

With Terry Garthwaite

  • Terry (Arista, 1975)

With Terry Garthwaite and Toni Brown

  • The Joy (Fantasy, 1977)

With Marvin Gaye

With Gloria Gaynor

With Benny Golson

With Herbie Hancock

With John Handy

With High Inergy

With Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler

With Thelma Houston

With The Hues Corporation

  • Your Place or Mine (Warner Bros., 1978)

With Phyllis Hyman

With Jermaine Jackson

With La Toya Jackson

With Norah Jones

With Rickie Lee Jones

With Al Johnson

  • Back for More (Columbia, 1980)

With Margie Joseph

  • Hear the Words, Feel the Feeling (Cotillion, 1976)

  • Feeling My Way (Atlantic, 1978)

With The Keane Brothers

  • Taking Off (ABC Records, 1979)

With Eddie Kendricks

With Albert King

  • Truckload of Lovin (Tomato Records, 1976)

With Ben E. King

With B. B. King

With Elle King

With Freddie King

  • Larger Than Life (RSO Records, 1976)

With Gladys Knight

With Gladys Knight & the Pips

  • At Last... The Pips (Casablanca, 1977)

  • Touch (Columbia, 1981)

With Charles Kynard

With Labelle

With Patti LaBelle

With Amos Lee

With Jamie Lidell

With Jon Lucien

  • Romantico (Zamajo, 1980)

With Cheryl Lynn

With Florence and the Machine

With Melissa Manchester

With Teena Marie

With Ziggy Marley

With Letta Mbulu

  • There's Music in the Air (A&M, 1976)

  • Letta (A&M, 1978)

  • Sounds Of a Rainbow (Munjale, 1980)

With Paul McCartney

With Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr.

With Gwen McCrae

  • On My Way (Atlantic, 1982)

With The McCrarys

  • Loving is Living (Portrait, 1978)

With Lonette McKee

  • Lonette (Sussex, 1974)

  • Words and Music (Warner Bros., 1978)

With Shannon McNally

With Bette Midler

  • Bette (Warner Bros. Records, 2000)

With The Miracles

With Blue Mitchell

With Barbara Morrison

  • Love'n You (P.C.H., 1990)

With Ian Moss

With Aaron Neville

  • Bring It On Home... The Soul Classics (Sony Music, 2006)

With Paolo Nutini

With David Oliver

  • Mind Magic (Mercury, 1978)

  • Rain Fire (Mercury, 1979)

  • Here's To You (Mercury, 1980)

With The Originals

  • Another Time, Another Place (Fantasy, 1978)

With Freda Payne

  • Hot (Capitol, 1979)

With Peaches & Herb

  • 2 Hot (Polydor, 1978)

  • Twice the Fire (Polydor, 1979)

  • Worth the Wait (Polydor, 1980)

  • Sayin' Something (Polydor, 1981)

With Teddy Pendergrass

With Billy Preston

With Margo Price

With Helen Reddy

  • Reddy (Capitol Records, 1979)

With Martha Reeves

  • Martha Reeves (MCA Records, 1974)

  • We Meet Again (Fantasy Records, 1978)

With Terry Reid

With LeAnn Rimes

With Minnie Riperton

With Smokey Robinson

With Rockie Robbins

  • Rockie Robbins (A&M, 1979)

  • You and Me (A&M, 1980)

With David Ruffin

With Patrice Rushen

With Lara Saint Paul

  • Saffo Music (Lasapa, 1977)

With Poncho Sanchez

  • Latin Spirits (Concord, 2001)

With Evie Sands

  • Suspended Animation (RCA Victor, 1979)

With Boz Scaggs

With Lalo Schifrin

With Nancy Shanks

  • Nancy Shanx (United Artists, 1977)

With Marlena Shaw

  • Sweet Beginnings (Columbia Records, 1977)

With Michelle Shocked

  • Mexican Standoff (Mighty Sound, 2005)

With Simply Red

  • Home (Simplyred.com, 2003)

With Lynwood Slim

  • Last Call (Delta Groove, 2006)

With Josh Smith

  • I'm Gonna Be Ready (Crosscut, 2011)

With Phoebe Snow

With Edwin Starr

  • Clean (20th Century Fox, 1978)

  • Stronger than You Think I Am (20th Century Fox, 1980)

With Barbra Streisand

  • Wet (Columbia Records, 1979)

With Harry Styles

With The Supremes

With The Sylvers

With Tavares

With The Temptations

With Jean Terrell

With Justin Timberlake

With Diana Trask

With The Undisputed Truth

  • Down to Earth (Gordy, 1974)

  • Cosmic Truth (Gordy, 1975)

  • Higher Than High (Gordy, 1975)

  • Smokin (Whitfield, 1979)

With Keith Urban

With Frankie Valli

  • Heaven Above Me (MCA Records, 1980)

With Thijs Van Leer

  • O My Love (Phillips Records, 1975)

With Kenny Vance

  • Short Vacation (Gold Castle, 1988)

With Vulfpeck

With Leon Ware

With Was (Not Was)

  • Boo! (Rykodisc, 2008)

With The Whispers

With Mary Wilson

With Lenny Williams

  • Choosing You (ABC, 1977)

  • Sparks of Love (ABC, 1978)

  • Love Current (MCA, 1979)

With Bill Withers

With Womack & Womack

With Stevie Woods

With Bobby Womack

With Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band

With Syreeta Wright

With Michael Wycoff

With Richard "Popcorn" Wylie

  • Extrasensory Percepition (ABC, 1974)

References

Bibliography