Gregory S. "G.C." Coleman (September 25, 1944 – February 5, 2006) was an American drummer and musician who was a member of

the Winstons The Winstons were an American funk and soul music group based in Washington, D.C. They are known for their 1969 recording featuring a song entitled " Color Him Father" on the A-side, and "Amen, Brother" on the B-side. Halfway into "Amen, Brother ...

and the drummer of the

Amen break The Amen break is a drum break that has been widely sampled in popular music. It comes from the 1969 track "Amen, Brother" by the soul group the Winstons, released as the B-side of the 1969 single " Color Him Father". The drum break lasts abou ...

, a famous drum solo taken from the Winstons' 1969 recording "Amen, Brother". This solo is the most frequently

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

drum loop In music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections can be repeated to create ostinato patterns. Longer sections can also be repeated: for example, a player might loop what they play on an entire verse of a song in order to ...

in modern music and is used in genres from hip hop to

drum and bass Drum and bass (also written as drum & bass or drum'n'bass and commonly abbreviated as D&B, DnB, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by fast breakbeats (typically 165–185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-ba ...

and beyond. Apart from sales of the original recording, Coleman never received any royalties from the widespread use of the sample, despite songs that used or interpreted his sample appearing on albums that made millions. He died

homeless Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

and in

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse < ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...

in 2006.

Early life

Gregory S. Coleman was born in September 1944, one of five children. He was a member of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church and graduated from Armstrong High School in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, in 1962. While in high school, he was a dynamic drum major for the school band and formed his own band, called ''GC Coleman and the Soul Twisters''. He later drummed for

The Marvelettes The Marvelettes were an American girl group that achieved popularity in the early to mid-1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Gladys Horton, Katherine Anderson, Georgeanna Tillman, Juanita Cowart (now Cowart Motley), and Georgia Dobbins, who ...

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

, for

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blue ...

, and

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

and

The Impressions The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, doo-wop, R&B, and soul. The group was founded as the Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur B ...

. He later moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

where he joined

The Winstons The Winstons were an American funk and soul music group based in Washington, D.C. They are known for their 1969 recording featuring a song entitled " Color Him Father" on the A-side, and "Amen, Brother" on the B-side. Halfway into "Amen, Brother ...

. He also performed drums on the 1969 album ''Hammer'' with the Washington DC band Hillow Hammet. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he recorded with Brick.

Death and legacy

Coleman died in Atlanta in February 2006. According to Richard Spencer, the bandleader of the Winstons, he was homeless and living in poverty at the time. Coleman was twice married and is survived by a daughter and step daughter. His Amen Break is the most used drum loop in music history.

References

1944 births 2006 deaths 20th-century African-American musicians 20th-century American drummers 20th-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American people African-American drummers American male drummers Musicians from Atlanta Rhythm and blues drummers {{US-drummer-stub