It's common to use words like "legendary" to describe James Brown's former drummer, whose work is immortalized in hits like "I Feel Good" and "Cold Sweat." His drumsticks are on display at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Wikipedia, "his groove on Brown's 'Funky Drummer' is believed to be the world's most sampled record."
But that doesn't do justice to the legacy Stubblefield has created for himself as a Madison resident over the last several decades. He's played a regular Monday night gig here for longer than some of his younger fans have been alive, and he's routinely donated his time to worthy local causes.
In 1989, when Stubblefield was arrested on drug charges, area musicians rallied around him, as they did in 2009, when he needed a new kidney. Stubblefield, who will turn 68 on April 18, is still going strong.
