Clyde Stubblefield

Clyde Stubblefield, born on April 18, 1943 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was an American 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.

His groove on James Brown's "Funky Drummer" is believed to be the world's most sampled record. Stubblefield was featured in a PBS Independent Lens documentary, Copyright Criminals which aired January 19, 2010. In the mid-nineties producer/songwriter Richard Mazda wrote and produced a record, Revenge of The Funky Drummer, which was Clyde's first solo record.

In 1996 Clyde released his own sample album, The Original Funky Drummer Breakbeat Album, which contains 26 tracks of isolated drum mixes of his playing.

Stubblefield has collaborated with fellow James Brown drummer, Jabo Starks, forming a duo, the Funkmasters, and releasing several albums — Find the Groove (2001) and Come Get Summa This (2006).

Clyde Stubblefield died on February 18, 2017, from kidney failure. Having no health insurance and being on dialysis for numerous years, it was disclosed in 2016 that the pop icon, Prince, had paid for nearly $100,000 of the Stubblefield's healthcare costs.

The legendary James Brown put on incredible live concerts. In those concerts, he would occasionally call out to the band, "Give the drummer some!" That was the signal to let drummer Clyde Stubblefield get featured in the spotlight.

So it was pretty logical for the newly formed Coalition for Recognition of Clyde Stubblefield to name their upcoming concert series "Give the Drummer Some!" This three concert series will raise money for the newly established Clyde Stubblefield Music Scholarship fund, which will go towards educating young people in music.

The Coalition for Recognition of Clyde Stubblefield began exploring scholarship ideas over the spring and summer of 2015. They wanted to create, not just a fundraising effort that will live on, but a way to spotlight the accomplishments of Mr. Stubblefield and his important worldwide contributions to music, as well as his contributions to the Madison music scene for over 40 years.

They've reached out to six decades of musicians who have played with Clyde, from legendary members of James Brown's band, to national, regional and local luminaries in blues, funk, soul and rock.

Stubblefield has been called "The Funky Drummer," and is known for creating some of the most sampled beats in music. His impact on music crosses genres, from soul and funk to rap and hip-hop. He appears on hits like "Cold Sweat," Ain't It Funky Now," and "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud." His drumsticks are enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"It's time," says Joey B. Banks, one of the organizers on the scholarship fund committee. "Clyde's a living legend. He's given back through his time and talents again and again over the years. It's time to honor his achievements, and to begin a permanent scholarship for deserving kids in our area."

Since 2009, Stubblefield has undergone dialysis, fought cancer, and most recently damaged a finger.

The second concert in the series will be held on September 11, 2015, at the Barrymore Theatre, also with the Clyde Stubblefield All Star Band, and will be a ticketed event. The third in the series will be free concert, at the MadCity Sessions at the Overture Center, and will feature fellow James Brown drummer John "Jabo" Starks, and more will be added in the coming weeks. Also featured will be The Black Star Drum Line Performance Group and The Big Payback funk band.