A wall of security men kept James Brown out of reach until a stranger took pity on this young reporter Jabo Starks died last Tuesday at his home in Mobile, Alabama, at age 79. He and Clyde Stubblefield were the twin drummers in the James Brown touring and recording bands during the 1960s and '70s, when they patented the funk beat in songs like "Get Up I Feel Like a Sex Machine," "Cold Sweat" and "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud." Reading his lengthy obit in the New York Times the other day, I was reminded of the time I saw Starks and Stubblefield backing James Brown at the Apollo in 1970.
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