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James Jamerson

Biography

James Jamerson (January 29, 1938 - August 2, 1983) was the bass player for many of Motown's hit records.

Jamerson was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1938.

Jamerson moved to Detroit in 1959, and began working for Motown. He quickly became a key member of the studio's house band, known as the Funk Brothers. Jamerson's discography at Motown reads as a catalog of soul hits of the 1960s and 1970s, including:

• Martha and the Vandellas Dancing in the Street
• Stevie Wonder I Was Made to Love Her
• The Temptations My Girl
• Marvin Gaye What's Going On

... and hundreds of others.

In 1983, Jamerson died of pneumonia in Los Angeles.

Jamerson is the subject of the 1989 book "Standing in the Shadows of Motown", and his story is featured in the subsequent film of the same title.

In 2000, Jamerson was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "Sidemen" category. See #Links and URLs.