Two R&B greats died over the weekend: drummer and songwriter James Gadson and The Lost Generation’s Fred Simon.
Rolling Stone announced
Gadson’s death on April 3, while the news of Simon’s death was announced on Facebook by his wife, Diana Simon. Gadson was 86, and Simon was 74. No cause of death was listed for either artist.Over Gadson’s long and productive career, the drummer has played with many legendary artists and has appeared on songs that most people of all ages have heard. His reach
was massive because of his drumming talent, which began in the 1960s, with records by artists like the Temptations, Ray Charles, D’Angelo, and Herbie Hancock. Many artists, including rappers, used songs he played on as the backdrop for some of their own hits.The Roots’ Questlove, who is also a drummer, posted on his social media about the impact Gadson had, listing many of the songs he’s played on, as well as some we may have heard that used samples featuring his drumming. He credited his drums on records, some of which were considered “breakbeats.”
“Some drummers are soulful. Some drummers are funky. Some [drummers] are rockin’. Some drummers are swinging—— but NO drummer has impacted the art of breakbeat drummer (danceable drums) like James Gadson.”
According to Penn Live, Simon started his career as part of the R&B group, The Lost Generation. The group was formed in 1969, with the lead singer, his brother, Lowrell, Jesse Dean, Leslie Dean, and Larry Brownlee. They had
several songs hit the charts, with “The Sly, Slick and the Wicked” peaking at No. 30 in 1970 and reaching No. 14 on the R&B charts. That same year, another song, “Wait a Minute,” made its way to No. 25 on the R&B charts in 1970.Simon’s wife alerted his fans on their Facebook group page, The New Lost Generation.
“It’s taken me a minute to be able to write this post. So with a very heavy heart, my husband Fred Simon, the last original member and one of the founding members of The Lost Generation and New Lost Generation, has died.”
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