Here’s the latest widely reported information about John "Jabo" Starks:
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John "Jabo" Starks, renowned drummer best known for his work with James Brown, passed away on May 1, 2018, in Mobile, Alabama, at age 79. He died after battling leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.[4][7]
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His death followed a long career spanning Bobby Bland, James Brown, and later collaborations with Bootsy Collins; he formed a notable funk rhythm section with Clyde Stubblefield, influencing hip-hop sampling and funk drumming.[1][2][7]
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Obituaries and tributes across major outlets highlighted his pivotal groove and the legendary funk interplay he shared with Stubblefield, often described as the backbone of James Brown’s early funk sound.[2][7][1]
If you’d like, I can pull up more recent tributes, remembrances, or a quick digest of his most influential drum parts and where to hear them. Would you like a short list of essential tracks and performances to explore?[7][1][2]
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Known for: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Jerry Maguire, Bumblebee
www.imdb.comStarks' manager Kathie Williams confirmed his death. She said he'd been in hospice for about a week and was battling leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Starks played with Brown during the Sixties and Seventies, most notably as part of a percussion duo with Clyde Stubblefield, who died last year. Though Starks and Stubblefield had distinct playing styles, together they created a powerhouse rhythm section that defined funk, and later hip-hop. The duo are among the most sampled drummers of...
www.notsomoderndrummer.comJohn 'Jabo' Starks, the drummer - who along with Clyde Stubblefield - provided the backbeat on many of James Brown's classic hits has died aged 79.
www.udiscovermusic.comView John Henry Jab'o Starks's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.
obits.al.comAmerican drummer
www.wikidata.org“He had that ‘stop-your-heart’ groove.” That’s how Fred Wesley, former bandleader for the “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, describes the drumming of John Starks, who died this past May 1 at the age of seventy-nine. And the description is apt.
www.moderndrummer.comLCCN Permalink provides persistent links to metadata records in LC Authorities. LCCN: no2014086504
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