Drummer James “Bubba” Norwood’s credentials are among the brightest of any MM artist. Known mostly for his long-time association with Ike and Tina Turner, James has anchored the rhythm section for a Who’s Who of blues, soul, and R&B greats.

Born: June 20, 1942 in North Carolina
Repertoire Summary: Acoustic Blues and Electric Blues, Drums
Current Location: Carrboro, NC

More about Bubba:
He graduated from Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s Lincoln High School in 1961.  Doug Clark of the famed Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts introduced him to Ike Turner later that year and James went on to play for the Ike and Tina Turner Revue until 1969.  “Ike taught me how to be a power drummer, a driving drummer and how to play with a well put-together show,” he says.  Along with the Revue’s solo shows, Ike and his Kings of Rhythm served as the house band at such major theaters as the Howard in Washington, D.C.; the Uptown in Philadelphia; the Apollo in New York; the Regal in Chicago; and the Royal in Baltimore. In this capacity James played with Archie Bell and the Drells, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, and Little Anthony and the Imperials.

After their stint with Ike Turner, most of the Rhythm Kings formed a band in L.A. called Sam and the Goodtimers. They played with Little Richard and even did a national tour with the Monkees in 1969.  In his book Hit Me, Fred, trombonist Fred Wesley, who later become James Brown’s band leader, describes James’ playing with the Sam and the Goodtimers. Wesley, who played with Norwood with Ike Turner when both were in their teens, writes of a gig when the band played Otis Reddings’ “I Can’t Turn You Loose”: “The vamp was strictly a Sam and the Goodtimers original. I had forgotten what a strong, solid, funky drummer James was. You know how fast the record is. Well, James took that straight, fast beat from the record, accented it here and there, and started a whole new thing…the Goodtimers were linked spiritually to by some intangible energy that flowed among the players and out to the audience.”  James remembers a Dallas gig with Marvin Gaye in 1970 or’71 and a stint with the Friends of Distinction later in that decade. He toured Europe and Scandinavia with blues great Albert King in the 1980’s. After a return to North Carolina in the early ‘80’s, he played with several local units.

James plays drums every Sunday at the First Baptist Church in Chapel Hill and occasionally with the Phabulous Phunk Phamily and with fellow MM artist and singer/guitarist Harvey Arnold.  He has backed such MM artists as John Dee Holeman, Cool John Ferguson, Beverly Watkins, and Captain Luke.  He has been an instructor for a number of younger players. Several dates of “The Funk Show” on radio WNCU (90.7) have been devoted to interviews with James. 

James Norwood says of his drumming, “I know more now- I’ve grown a lot” and that he is playing as well as he ever has. He says is proud to be associated with MM and looks forward to being seen and heard by MM audiences.

-Written by Peter Kramer