LAMAMIMET

James Edward Gadson was born on June 17, 1939, in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in a musical family; his father was a drummer and he performed in a teenage doo‑wop group. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid‑1960s after serving in the Air Force and joined Charles Wright’s Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, appearing on hits such as “Do Your Thing” and “Express Yourself.”

Gadson’s reputation surged when he recorded with Bill Withers on the 1972 album Still Bill, providing the iconic drum groove on “Use Me” and playing on the hit “Lean on Me.” He also contributed to Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You,” Diana Ross’s “Love Hangover,” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” among countless other classic R&B and soul recordings throughout the 1970s.

In later decades he remained an in‑demand session player, working with artists ranging from Paul McCartney, Beck, and D’Angelo to Justin Timberlake and Harry Styles, and his beats were sampled by hip‑hop producers such as Questlove and Kendrick Lamar. His laid‑back, funky style became a defining element of many hit records and earned him recognition as one of the most‑recorded drummers in R&B history.

James Gadson died on April 2, 2026, at the age of 86, after a recent fall and surgery, as confirmed by his wife Barbara.