Uriel Jones Motown Drumming Legend Dies

I just received word from Bruce Aitken of the Cape Breton International Drum Festival, that Motown drumming Legend Uriel Jones has passed away. He died on Tuesday, March 24, in Oakwood Hospital & Medical Center in Dearborn, Michigan after suffering a heart attack. He was 74 and leaves behind his wife, June, and their three children.

Uriel, who was the last surviving drummer in the Motown session band known as the Funk Brothers, had a heart attack this past February but was showing signs of recovery until his fatal attack on Tuesday.

According to Motown arranger Paul Riser, "Uriel's drum sound was the most open and laid-back, and he was the funkiest of the three guys we had. He had a mixed feel and did a lot of different things well."

Coming to Motown in the early 1960's after touring with Marvin Gaye, Uriel played a huge part in the success of groups such as The Temptations, Marvin Gay, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, and others. But he, like the rest of Motown's backup musicians, received no recognition at the time. Although I'm so sorry to see Uriel go, I'm so pleased that he finally got the long overdue credit that he and his fellow Funk Brothers so rightly deserved.

This recognition occurred in 2003 with the release of the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, the movie that introduced the world to the backing musicians known as the Funk Brothers and gave the remaining members a new career during which the band toured the world winning two Grammy Awards in the process!        

Of the three drummers who were members of the Funk Brothers, Uriel is the only one who lived to receive his rightful reward. Drummer Benny Benjamin passed away in 1969 and drummer Richard "Pistol" Allen, who died from cancer in 2002, lived just long enough to complete the filming of the Funk Brothers documentary. If you have yet to watch Standing in the Shadows of Motown, I highly recommend it.

With the passing of drummer Uriel Jones, only four of the musicians known as the Funk Brothers now remain.

I met Uriel when we played the Cape Breton International Drum Festival together and we quickly became friends.He was not only an outstanding musician but a wonderful person. Although I will miss him, I know that he will continue to Rock On for all eternity.