James Edward Gadson (born June 17, 1939) is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B. He is also a singer and songwriter.

Career

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, released by Sussex Records in 1972. He played on The Temptations album 1990, 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 and appeared on two tracks, "At The Mercy" and "Riding To Vanity Fair", on the 2005 Paul McCartney album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. He has a brief appearance in the Adam Sandler 2009 movie 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 titled Rising From The Bushes, in which he appeared on two tracks, "Fantasy" and Willie Dixon's famous 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, James Gadson, who resides 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).

Discography

Singles

James Gadson & Lou Washington

As sideman

With Mindi Abair With Arthur Adams With Alessi Brothers With Herb Alpert With Corinne Bailey Rae With Philip Bailey With Anita Baker With Jimmy Barnes With Beck With Booker T. & the M.G.'s With Doyle Bramhall II With Dianne Brooks With Elkie Brooks With Peabo Bryson and Natalie Cole With Solomon Burke With Jerry Butler With Terry Callier With G. C. Cameron With Jean Carn With David Castle With Ray Charles With Kelly Clarkson With Jimmy Cliff With Joe Cocker With Adam Cohen With Leonard Cohen With Natalie Cole With Nikka Costa With Randy Crawford With Jamie Cullum With D'Angelo With Lana Del Rey With Jackie DeShannon With Marcella Detroit With The 5th Dimension With Donovan With Yvonne Elliman With The Emotions With Enchantment With Donald Fagen With Yvonne Fair With José Feliciano With Four Tops With Aretha Franklin With Toko Furuuchi With Charlotte Gainsbourg With Terry Garthwaite With Terry Garthwaite and Toni Brown With Marvin Gaye With Gloria Gaynor With Benny Golson With Herbie Hancock With John Handy With High Inergy With Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler With Thelma Houston With The Hues Corporation With Jermaine Jackson With La Toya Jackson With Norah Jones With Rickie Lee Jones With Al Johnson With Margie Joseph With The Keane Brothers With Eddie Kendricks With Albert King With Ben E. King With B.B. King With Elle King With Freddie King With Gladys Knight With Gladys Knight & the Pips With Charles Kynard With Labelle With Patti LaBelle With Amos Lee With Jamie Lidell With Jon Lucien With Cheryl Lynn With Florence and the Machine With Melissa Manchester With Teena Marie With Ziggy Marley With Letta Mbulu With Paul McCartney With Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. With Gwen McCrae With Lonette McKee With Shannon McNally With Bette Midler With The Miracles With Blue Mitchell With Barbara Morrison With Ian Moss With Aaron Neville With Paolo Nutini With David Oliver With The Originals With Freda Payne With Sweet Pea Atkinson With Peaches & Herb With Teddy Pendergrass With Billy Preston With Margo Price With Helen Reddy With Martha Reeves With Terry Reid With LeAnn Rimes With Minnie Riperton With Smokey Robinson With Rockie Robbins With Nate Ruess With David Ruffin With Patrice Rushen With Lara Saint Paul With Poncho Sanchez With Evie Sands With Boz Scaggs With Lalo Schifrin With Nancy Shanks With Marlena Shaw With Michelle Shocked With Simply Red With Lynwood Slim With Josh Smith With Phoebe Snow With Barbra Streisand With Harry Styles With The Supremes With The Sylvers With Tavares With The Temptations With Jean Terrell With Justin Timberlake With Diana Trask With The Undisputed Truth With Keith Urban With Frankie Valli With Thijs Van Leer With Kenny Vance With Vulfpeck With Leon Ware With Was (Not Was) With The Whispers With Mary Wilson With Lenny Williams With Bill Withers With Womack & Womack With Stevie Woods With Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band With Syreeta Wright With Michael Wycoff With Richard "Popcorn" Wylie