Latest News About John "Jabo" Starks

Updated 2026-05-07 06:02

John “Jabo” Starks—the legendary James Brown drummer—passed away in 2018. The latest widely reported information notes he died on May 1, 2018, in Mobile, Alabama, at age 79 from leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. If you’re looking for more recent discussions or tributes, I can pull up current articles or social posts; just tell me what kind of sources you prefer (news outlets, obituaries, or music magazines).

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John “Jabo” Starks: 1938-2018 - Modern Drummer Magazine

“He had that ‘stop-your-heart’ groove.” That’s how Fred Wesley, former bandleader for the “Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, describes the drumming of John Starks, who died this past May 1 at the age of seventy-nine. And the description is apt.

www.moderndrummer.com

Little Known Black History Fact - John ‘Jabo’ Starks - Sybil Wilkes

Fans of James Brown are no doubt familiar with the sounds of Clyde “Funky Drummer” Stubblefield within the framework of the band. Helping to propel the Godfather of Soul’s funk groove to its oft-studied heights was fellow drummer John “Jabo” Starks, who passed away in 2018. John Henry Starks was born October 26, 1938 in […]

sybilwilkes.com

Starks, John, 1938-2018

LCCN Permalink provides persistent links to metadata records in LC Authorities. LCCN: no2014086504

lccn.loc.gov

Drummer Jabo Starks Dies - Pollstar News

Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Guitar Center - Jabo StarksJabo Starks speaks onstage during Guitar Center’s 28th Annual Drum-Off Finals Event at

news.pollstar.com

John Jabo Starks — Not So Modern Drummer

Starks' manager Kathie Williams confirmed his death. She said he'd been in hospice for about a week and was battling leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. Starks played with Brown during the Sixties and Seventies, most notably as part of a percussion duo with Clyde Stubblefield, who died last year. Though Starks and Stubblefield had distinct playing styles, together they created a powerhouse rhythm section that defined funk, and later hip-hop. The duo are among the most sampled drummers of...

www.notsomoderndrummer.com