Clyde Stubblefield

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Clyde Stubblefield (born 1943 in Chattanooga, Tennessee) is a drummer best known for his work with James Brown.

Stubblefield's recordings with James Brown are considered to be some of the standard-bearers for funk drumming, including the singles "Cold Sweat", "There Was A Time", "I Got The Feelin'", "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Ain't It Funky Now", "Mother Popcorn", and the album Sex Machine.

He may be the most widely sampled musician in the world - his groove on James Brown's "Funky Drummer" is believed to be the world's most sampled record.

[edit] Present Status

Stubblefield currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. He has a weekly gig at Madison's Downtown, continuing over 20 years of playing music in downtown Madison near the capitol. He plays every Monday night with his Madison band, The Clyde Stubblefield Band, featuring his long time friend and keyboard/organ player Steve "Doc" Scaggs, along with soulful vocalists Charlie Brooks, Carolynn Black and Karri Daley, as well as a powerful three-piece horn section and supporting band. He also plays funk festivals with Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, or Jabo.

In 1995 he played on two tracks ("Queer" and "Not my idea") on the self-titled album by the rock band Garbage, led by fellow Madison resident Butch Vig.

In recent years Stubblefield has collaborated frequently with another former James Brown drummer, John "Jabo" Starks. As the Funkmasters, they released an album in 2001 called Find The Groove. and COME GET SUMMA THIS. Starks and Stubblefield also appear on a drumming instructional video.

Stubblefield can be heard playing jazz on the nationally syndicated public radio show Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?

Most recently he and Jab'o completed a CD with Fred Wesley. This should be released in early Spring 2008 by Columbia Entertainment Music, Inc. in Tokyo.

Toontracks sampling recorded was completed in November 2007.

Jab'o and Clyde joined Bootsy Collins in Covington, KY/Madison Theater on 22 December 2007 for the first Tribute to James Brown.