Clyde Stubblefield

Your presence here and thoughtfulness are appreciated. We are an alliance of artists and industry gathered together in mission and spirit to assist the man known as "The Funky Drummer," Clyde Stubblefield, in his time of need.

Read on to learn how you can contribute safely and simply, joining us in lending our hand to his and spreading the word. Thank you for your care and concern.

THE COALITION FOR CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD

Alfred Music, Bob Babbitt, Bosphorus Cymbals, John Blackwell, Frank Briggs, Keith Carlock, Mike Clark, Adam Deitch, Bart Elliott's Drummer Cafe, Richard Davis, Drum Workshop, Inc., Peter Erskine, Hannah Ford, Steve Gadd, David Garibaldi, Daniel Glass, Gretsch Drums, Hudson Music, Wally Ingram, Steve Jordan, "Pistol" Pete Kaufmann, Jojo Mayer, Meinl Cymbals, Zigaboo Modeliste, Stanton Moore, Jonathan Mover, Andy Newmark, Paiste Cymbals, Jim Payne, Mark Powers, Bernard Purdie, Paul Quin, Johnny Rabb, Dane Richeson, David Schneider, Michael Shrieve, Chuck Silverman, Mike Sorrentino, Marvin Sparks, David Stanoch, John "Jab'o" Starks, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Tower of Power, Vic Firth, Inc., Butch Vig, Steve White, Kathie Williams, Fred Wesley, Yamaha Drums

Greetings and welcome to the official Donation Station network for contributing financial support directly to funk drumming legend, Clyde Stubblefield. Your donation transaction is simple, safe and secure through PayPal. Just click on the widget on the right-hand side of this page to get started!

In July 2009, funk drumming legend, Clyde Stubblefield, whose sampled beats from his innovative recordings with James Brown have shaped the sound of hip-hop and drum & bass music, suffered kidney failure and began weekly dialysis treatment.

In July 2010, The Coalition for Clyde Stubblefield - an artist & industry association of Clyde's supporters - was founded by drummers Stanton Moore, Johnny Rabb and David Stanoch to spread word of Clyde's situation and new avenues being created expressly for donating financial support directly to him.

Clyde continues to work and perform regularly while dealing with the stress his kidney dialysis treatments demand.

We thank you for visiting this webpage and your desire to Give The Drummer Some, helping Clyde and his family find some relief as he braves this journey so they may feel some of YOUR soulfulness as we come together to help out a brother, an inspiration, our friend.

Remember, no contribution is too small and every penny makes a difference. JOIN THE COALITION & SPREAD THE WORD! Follow the simple instructions under the widget for embedding it into your own websites & social media pages! We thank you for your concern and generosity.

Sincerely,
THE COALITION FOR CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD

Enjoy this glimpse into the heart and deep soulfulness of Clyde Stubblefield:

A native of Chattanooga, TN, Clyde's natural sense of rhythm has always preceded him, "Beating on tin cans...boxes, and whatever else I could get hold of as a child," he says.

A self taught player, he was fascinated by the rhythm of the machines he heard in the factories he passed on his walks to school and back while growing up. "I'd hear one rhythm on one side of the street on my way to school and a different one on the other on my way back. "When I got home," Clyde explains, "I'd try to play them both together!"

It was Clyde James Brown was referring to when he uttered the now-famous phrase, "Give the drummer some," on his classic hit ,"Cold Sweat," which was Clyde's debut recording with Brown after coming off the road as drummer for Otis Redding in 1967.

Clyde helped change the way that drummers play and approach funk and groove drumming. He created many innovative and creative grooves that are still challenging drummers today. He recorded several classic James Brown songs including "Say it Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)," "Mother Popcorn," "I've Got the Feelin'," and his signature track, "Funky Drummer."

Clyde's breakdown beat on this classic is one of the most sampled drum loops in history, used on pop and hip-hop hits by the Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode, Dr. Dre, George Michael, Ice T, Nine Inch Nails, Parliament/Funkadelic, Prince, Public Enemy, and Sinead O'Connor, to name only a few.

To top that, his drumming on the break of James Brown's "Soul Pride" was sped up and cut up to create a rhythmic foundation for yet another popular musical genre, Drum and Bass.

This extensive use of these signature beats has given Clyde the distinction of being the "World's Most Sampled Drummer." Ironically, Clyde has never been paid any type of royalty for this use of his innovative beat. "The money isn't the issue but it would be nice to get the credit," Clyde has remarked.

Today Clyde, a long-time resident of Madison, WI, remains in demand, performing and recording with such diverse artists as Garbage, Public Enemy, and John Scofield, as well as releasing his own solo recordings, and working with fellow JB alumni, Fred Wesley, Fred Thomas, and Jabo Starks in The FunkMasters.

Clyde's work with Garbage on their platinum debut recording is notable in that the group's renowned producer and drummer Butch Vig, a fellow Madison resident, opted to hire Clyde to play on the record rather than sample him. "You don't use a sample when the genius who played the sample lives down the street from you," Vig has stated.

Clyde has also played in the houseband of Michael Feldman's "Whad'Ya Know Show" on National Public Radio for 25 years and his drumsticks are on display in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, in Cleveland, OH.

Clyde and John "Jab'o" Starks, his friend and fellow JB drumming alumni, released an instructional drumming DVD, "The Soul Of Funky Drummers," in 2004, and continue to perform clinics and concerts together, sharing their deep soulfulness with fans everywhere worldwide.

Dig Clyde performing "Cold Sweat" live with James Brown in 1968: