Clyde Stubblefield facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clyde Stubblefield
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Stubblefield performing in 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Clyde Austin Stubblefield |
| Born | April 18, 1943 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | February 18, 2017 (aged 73) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums |
| Years active | c. 1960–2017 |
| Associated acts |
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Clyde Austin Stubblefield (born April 18, 1943 – died February 18, 2017) was an American drummer. He was most famous for his amazing work with the legendary singer James Brown. Clyde taught himself how to play the drums. He was inspired by everyday sounds like trains and factories. His unique drum beats on James Brown's songs are now considered classic funk music. He played and toured with James Brown for six years. Later, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin, and became a key part of the local music scene. Many of his drum patterns were used in hip hop music without him getting credit. He also received a special honorary degree for his contributions to music.
Contents
Who Was Clyde Stubblefield?
Early Life and Musical Start
Clyde Stubblefield was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 18, 1943. He grew up listening to the sounds of factories and trains. These sounds helped him develop his strong sense of rhythm. He would practice the rhythms he heard, sometimes playing two different patterns at once. He once said that if he could hum a drum pattern, he could play it.
As a teenager, Clyde started playing drums professionally. He performed in local bands like the Blue Shufflers. In the early 1960s, he moved to Macon, Georgia. There, he worked with guitarist Eddie Kirkland and even toured with Otis Redding.
The Funky Drummer with James Brown
In 1965, James Brown saw Clyde play in Macon, Georgia. Brown was so impressed that he asked Clyde to join his band. Clyde joined Brown's band, which already had another great drummer, John "Jabo" Starks. Starks had joined just two weeks before Clyde.
Neither Clyde nor Jabo had formal music training. Clyde explained, "We just played what we wanted to play." Together, these two drummers created the famous "grooves" for many of James Brown's biggest hits. A "groove" is the rhythmic feel of a song that makes you want to move. Their drumming laid the groundwork for modern funk music.
The Famous "Funky Drummer" Beat
Clyde Stubblefield's drumming on James Brown's song "Funky Drummer" is one of the most famous drum beats ever. It has been used for many years by hip-hop artists. This is called "sampling," where a small part of a song is used in a new one. Famous groups like Public Enemy, Run-DMC, and Beastie Boys have used his beats.
Even though Clyde created these beats, he often didn't get paid or credited when others sampled his work. In 2009, he was featured in a documentary called Copyright Criminals. This film explored the creative and legal sides of sampling in music.
Life After James Brown
After leaving James Brown's band in 1970, Clyde Stubblefield moved to Madison, Wisconsin. He lived there from 1971 onwards. For more than twenty years, he played every Monday night with his own group, The Clyde Stubblefield Band. He stopped playing these shows in 2011 due to health reasons.
Clyde worked with many musicians in Madison. He also performed and recorded with other members of The J.B.'s, James Brown's band. These included Bootsy Collins and Maceo Parker. Clyde and "Jabo" Starks often worked together as a duo called the Funkmasters. They released albums and even a drumming instruction video.
From the early 1990s to 2015, Clyde also played on a national radio show called Whad'Ya Know?. He released his first solo album, The Revenge of the Funky Drummer, in 1997.
Clyde faced health challenges from the early 2000s, including cancer and kidney disease. Musicians in Madison organized events to help him with medical bills. In 2016, it was reported that the pop star Prince, who greatly admired Clyde, helped pay for some of his medical costs.
Awards and Recognition
Clyde Stubblefield received many honors for his drumming. In 2014, LA Weekly magazine named him the second best drummer of all time. They said his ability to create complex rhythms laid the groundwork for funk and hip-hop.
In 2013, Clyde and Jabo Starks received the Yamaha Legacy Award. He also received a lifetime achievement award in 2004 at the Madison Area Music Awards. In 2000, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Area Music Industry hall of fame. Rolling Stone magazine named him drummer of the year in 1990. In 2016, they ranked him and Jabo Starks as the sixth best drummers ever. A pair of Clyde's signed drumsticks are kept in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Many famous drummers and musicians have praised Clyde. Questlove, the drummer for The Roots, said Clyde "defined funk music." Chuck D from Public Enemy noted that Clyde's style of repeating beats was very important for hip-hop. In 2017, the University of Wisconsin–Madison gave Clyde an honorary doctorate degree.
His Own Words
In a 1991 interview, Clyde Stubblefield shared what inspired him: "What influenced me mainly was sounds. Train tracks. Washing machines. I just put patterns against natural sounds, and that's what I do today. I could be walking down the street in time and put a drum pattern against it while I'm walking (...) That's the same thing I'm doing now when I sit down behind the drums. I put a pattern behind what everyone else is doing."
His Music and Videos
Here are some of the albums Clyde Stubblefield released:
As a Solo Artist
- The Revenge of the Funky Drummer (1997)
- The Original Funky Drummer Breakbeat Album (2002)
- The Original (2003)
With the Funkmasters (with Jabo Starks)
- Find the Groove (2001)
- Come Get Summa This (2006)
As a Session Musician (selected works)
- With Fred Wesley: Funk for Your .. (2008)
- With James Brown: Cold Sweat (1967), I Got the Feelin' (1968), It's a Mother (1969), Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud (1969)
- With The J.B.'s: Bring the Funk on Down (1999)
- With Garbage: Garbage (1995)
Instructional Videos
- Soul of the Funky Drummers (1999)
Death
Clyde Stubblefield passed away on February 18, 2017. He died from kidney failure. He had been dealing with kidney disease since 2002. He was survived by his wife, Jody Hannon.
