D. Leah Steinberg

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A close-up of D Leah Steinberg.

D Leah Steinberg

The name D. Leah Steinberg may not be familiar, but how about Clyde Stubblefield? Famed as James Brown's “funky drummer,” Stubblefield was a longtime Madisonian, playing regular club gigs and mentoring many local musicians until his death in 2017. He is the most sampled drummer in the world, hence giving hip-hop its backbone. Steinberg has written Clyde Stubblefield: Rhythms of the Funky Drummer, the first biography of the music legend, detailing his life from a difficult childhood in Tennessee, to his on-the-job musical education to reminiscences from those who knew him. Steinberg will discuss the project at Lake City.

media release: If you don’t know the name “Clyde Stubblefield,” you can be sure you know his music. As the powerhouse drummer for James Brown, he created the rhythm of Funk. As the most sampled drummer in the world, he gave hip-hop its beat. Now, in a long-overdue biography, CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD: RHYTHMS OF THE FUNKY DRUMMER (University of Georgia Press, October 1, 2026, paperback) D. Leah Steinberg, a long-time friend of Stubblefield’s who once received an informal lesson in his kitchen, tells his remarkable story for the first time. She recounts how Stubblefield, a self-taught musician, overcame a hardscrabble childhood in Chattanooga to become the drummer whose rhythms changed the course of music.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D. LEAH STEINBERG is the author of Raised in the Shadow of the Bomb: Children of the Manhattan Project. She has published two poetry chapbooks and her writing has appeared in Salon. Steinberg lives and writes in Northern California and is currently working on a book of poetry and photography.

PRAISE

“…a reporting trip to Chattanooga and interviews with Stubblefield’s former bandmates and acolytes give warmth to the portrait here … Better later than never, a drummer receives some payback for all that he gave to music.” —Kirkus Book Reviews

“A joyous, grooving ride. Leah Steinberg doesn’t simply tell stories, she emulates the dreamscape that Clyde’s playing was for everyone who saw and heard him.” —Rickey Vincent, author of Funk: The Music, the People, and the Rhythm of The One

“Not only does Steinberg tell Clyde’s story with depth and insight, but she also provides the cultural and historical context needed to fully appreciate his impact on music and popular culture. You’ll definitely groove on this book!” —Wally Ingram, American drummer and musician

“Clyde’s funky drumming burst onto the scene in the mid-sixties, becoming the driving force behind the groundbreaking James Brown Band. As the most sampled drummer in history, his stature grew through the rise of sampling and the various music genres and musicians he influenced during his many decades in Madison, Wisconsin. Steinberg's book explores the importance of the man behind the rhythms as well as his profound influence on music. —Butch Vig, music producer for Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Garbage and more

“This book shows that Clyde's life was as intriguing and exhilarating as his many popular beats.” —Tom Alesia, author of Then Garth Became Elvis: A Country Music Writer’s Journey with the Stars, 1985-2010

“Clyde Stubblefield's work as a musician has been well-documented, analyzed, and often explained, but his life story has never been told. . . until now. This book is very impressive.” —David Stanoch, professional drummer and former drumset editor for Percussive Notes