Clifton James (October 2, 1936 – February 16, 2006) was an American drummer who was most closely associated with

Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...

, and played on many R&B records issued by

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...

between 1955 and 1970.

Biography

Born in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, one of a family of fourteen, James began playing drums as a child, and in his teens played in the bands backing

Memphis Slim John Len Chatman (September 3, 1915 – February 24, 1988), known professionally as Memphis Slim, was an American blues pianist, singer, and composer. He led a series of bands that, reflecting the popular appeal of jump blues, included saxopho ...

and

Elmore James Elmore James ( Brooks; January 27, 1918 – May 24, 1963) was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bandleader. Noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice, James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ...

. He met Bo Diddley in 1953, and became a member of Bo Diddley's band alongside

maracas A maraca ( , , ), sometimes called shaker or chac-chac, is a rattle which appears in many genres of Caribbean and Latin music. It is shaken by a handle and usually played as part of a pair. Maracas, also known as tamaracas, were rattles of d ...

player

Jerome Green Jerome Green () was an American percussionist and occasional lyricist and vocalist, known for playing maracas and acting as Bo Diddley's foil in his performances and on his recordings in the 1950s and early 1960s. Biography Green grew up in Chica ...

and bassist Roosevelt Jackson. Bo Diddley said that when he added Clifton James to his band, "He was the man who did the original Bo Diddley beat on the drums." Clifton James himself said: "I'm the one that gave him that beat... It just came to me. Well, before I started messing around with him, I was at home and I was just beating out something. That's all. I met Bo and we started playing together... "

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

also said: "That actually was Clifton James' idea of a beat more than it was Bo Diddley's." James played on the song "

", which reached number 2 on the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

in 1955, and then played on most of Bo Diddley's later recordings through the 1950s and 1960s. On the 1956 track "

Who Do You Love Who Do You Love? may refer to: Music Albums * Who Do You Love? (album), ''Who Do You Love?'' (album), by King Adora Songs * Who Do You Love (Bernard Wright song), "Who Do You Love" (Bernard Wright song), 1985 * Who Do You Love? (Bo Diddley song), ...

", it was James who suggested the line "..use a cobra snake for a necktie..". Pierre Perrone, "Obituary: Clifton James", ''The Independent'', 28 February 2006
Retrieved 2 June 2020 He also toured with Bo Diddley, intermittently replacing Frank Kirkland, and toured and recorded with other Chess musicians including Willie Dixon,

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

, Sonny Boy Williamson,

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player. He was at the forefront of transforming acoustic Delta blues into electric Chica ...

, Koko Taylor and

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaug ...

. Under Dixon's direction, James became a member of the Chicago Blues All Stars, who toured widely in Europe and North America from the late 1960s on. Other band members included Sunnyland Slim,

Big Walter Horton Walter Horton (April 6, 1921 – December 8, 1981), known as Big Walter (Horton) or Walter "Shakey" Horton, was an American blues harmonica player. A quiet, unassuming, shy man, he is remembered as one of the premier harmonica players in the hi ...

, and

Johnny Shines John Ned Shines (April 26, 1915 – April 20, 1992) was an American blues singer and guitarist. Biography Shines was born in Frayser, Tennessee, today a neighborhood of Memphis. He was taught to play the guitar by his mother and spent m ...

. James was also an occasional vocalist, and led his own band on a tour of Holland in the 1970s. Eugene Chadbourne, Clifton James Biography, ''Allmusic.com''
Retrieved 2 June 2020 By the 1980s, he worked at a rubber factory, and had largely given up playing music. Scott K Fish, "Clifton James: I Wanted My Own Style of Playing", ''Life Beyond the Cymbals'', December 9, 2015
Retrieved 2 June 2020 He died in Chicago in 2006, aged 69. in 2016, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' listed James as number 30 in their list of the "100 Greatest Drummers of All Time". 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time: Clifton James, ''Rolling Stone'', March 31, 2016
. Retrieved 2 June 2020

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:James, Clifton 1936 births 2006 deaths American session musicians American blues drummers Chicago blues musicians Rhythm and blues drummers