Ankur Malhotra
By most accounts Clyde Stubblefield is the most sampled drummer in history.
Today the world says goodbye to the Funky Drummer.
Clyde Stubblefield, 73, who died today from kidney failure, was a towering figure in soul, R & B and hip-hop. By most accounts, he was the most sampled drummer in history. Rolling Stone listed him near the top of “100 Greatest Drummers of All Time.” Questlove wrote on Instagram that he was the “funky funkiest drummer of all time.”
Locally, Stubblefield made an indelible mark on Madison’s music community, gigging relentlessly through the decades, despite suffering more than his share of health problems. (Prince once paid his medical bills when he was receiving treatment for bladder cancer.)
Until several months ago, he was still playing with the Clyde Stubblefield All-Star Band. In that ensemble, the elder statesman of funk drummed side by side with his protege, Joey Banks. When Steven Potter interviewed Banks for a recent profile in Isthmus, Banks had more praise for Stubblefield than we could fit in print. “Just watching him and being around him as a young kid and watching him through the years has helped me develop who I am as a professional,” Banks told Potter. “I owe a lot to just being in the vicinity of Clyde and being lucky to just be with him.”
Isthmus has been lucky enough to feature Stubblefield numerous times over the years. And rightfully so. In a loving portrait from 1991, the late Tom Laskin wrote “Stubblefield is used to the fact that people don't give him his due.” That was still somewhat true in 2015 when Bob Jacobson interviewed Stubblefield for another profile.“I just sit back and enjoy life,” Stubblefield said then.
Stubblefield is survived by his wife, Jody Hannon.
His legacy will live on with the scholarship that carries his name. And in the young drummers inspired by his infectious beats. And in all of us who loved his music, and felt proud that the Funky Drummer lived in our midst.
[Update: The Madison Concourse Hotel is hosting a celebration of Stubblefield's life in its Capital Ballroom, Friday, Feb. 24, 5-8 p.m. On Feb. 27, the Clyde Stubblefield All-Stars will play a benefit performance to assist Jody Hannon with funeral expenses.]
