One of the catalysts for James Brown's funkiest sessions, drummer John "Jabo" Starks, passed away yesterday at his Mobile, Alabama home. He was 79. Along with the equally influential drummer Clyde Stubblefield, who died last year, Starks laid the foundation for dozens of tracks throughout the '60s and '70s that went on to be sampled by hundreds of hiphop and electronic-music producers. A partial list of those songs includes "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine," "The Payback," “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud,” and "Super Bad." Starks also contributed devastating breakbeats to cuts by JB-affiliated artists like Lyn Collins ("Think [About It]") and Bobby Byrd ("I Know You Got Soul," "Hot Pants [I'm Coming, I'm Coming]") that also found their way into many, many dance jams from the '80s onward.

In addition to his world-historical tenure with Brown, Starks also played with blues and R&B legends such as Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, B.B. King, and Bobby "Blue" Bland. Following their stint with the Godfather of Soul, Starks and Stubblefield formed the Funkmasters, who released both records and instructional videos; they also worked on the soundtrack to Superbad.

The last word on Starks, as it should regarding all funk legends, comes from the Roots drummer Questlove, as he wrote on his Instagram: