Mar 26, 2009 • 1 min read

Motown drummer dies

Motown session drummer Uriel Jones, a member of the Funk Brothers, has died aged 74 following a heart attack, having played on hits by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and others.

Drummer Uriel Jones (pictured on the left with fellow Funk Brothers Eddie Willis and Bob Babbitt), who worked with the likes of The Temptations, Four Tops and Smokey Robinson, has died at the age of 74 after suffering a heart attack.

A member of Funk Brothers, Motown Records' house band, he played on myriad hits, including 'Signed Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours' by Stevie Wonder, 'What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted' by Jimmy Ruffin, and 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' by Marvin Gaye.

According to Paul Riser, a Motown arranger and musician, Jones often played with his fellow surviving Funk Brothers. The band were the subject of an acclaimed 2002 documentary, 'Standing In The Shadows Of Motown', a film that brought the group's members a degree of recognition denied them during Motown's sixties heyday.

Jones is survived by his wife and three children.

Great! You’ve successfully signed up.
Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
You've successfully subscribed to CMU | the music business explained.
Your link has expired.
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.
Success! Your billing info has been updated.
Your billing was not updated.
Privacy Policy