Imagine being the structural engineer who pours the concrete foundation for the world's most famous skyscrapers, yet your name isn't on a single plaque in the lobby. This is the story of John "Jabo" Starks, the invisible floor that the world has been dancing on for over half a century. In this episode of pplpod, we conduct a deep dive into the life of the man who defined funk drumming and provided the rhythmic DNA for modern music. From his self-taught beginnings in Alabama to his legendary tenure with James Brown, Starks didn't just play the drums; he engineered a "stop your heart" groove that allowed the world's greatest soloists to fly. We explore his transition from the heavy blues of Bobby Bland to the high-stakes "two-drummer ecosystem" of the JBs alongside ...