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.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Gadson 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,[5] released by Sussex Records in 1972. He played on the Temptations album 1990,[6] 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.

Thelma Houston - Don't Leave Me This Way (Long Version) 1976

Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine (Live) 1974

Paul Mc Cartney - At the Mercy

Diana Ross - Love Hangover, Live on The Midnight Special 1976

Source and more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gadson

 

None of those videos showcase just how motherfuckin' cool and groovy James Gadson was. Rest in Power, Mr G.

 

Big influence on me. If there was one person that could lay down a groove and get you hooked on it, he did it like very few could. Too many drummers can hold a steady rhythm, but very few can actually make it sound groovy and not boring. He was impeccable. Perfect sense of timing. It's one of the reasons many of the records he played on are timeless classics, revisited generation upon generation. Big loss. But that's life i guess, we all got to go sometime.
RIP master.

 

Rest In Peace James Gadson
Thanx for the beats.

 

Man what a legend. Rest in Power!