John "Jabo" Starks (born October 26, 1938) is an
American funk and
blues drummer. He is best known for playing with
James Brown. Starks played on many of Brown's biggest
hits, either as the sole drummer or in tandem with
Clyde Stubblefield, including "
The Payback", "
Sex Machine", "
Super Bad", and "
Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing". He has also backed many of the artists produced or managed by Brown, most notably
Lyn Collins,
The JBs, and
Bobby Byrd. Along with his colleague Stubblefield, Starks ranks as one of the most
sampled drummers on contemporary
hip hop and
R&B recordings.