The long standing anchor of the Motown pit band on West Grand Boulevard, his bass playing appeared on possibly thousands of songs and a record number of #1 hit singles.  His bass playing defined R&B and soul in its golden age and is still the foundation of today's sound.  When Berry Gordy moved Motown to L.A. he gave the Funk Brothers their pink slips and said if they moved to the coast they were free to audition for studio work like everyone else out there.  Jamerson was dead as a result of alcoholism related cirosis of the liver a decade later.

A genius bass guitar player.  You could hear it even as an understated role in the Motown Sound.  It was sad that he did not live long enough to be part of the documentary, "Standing in the Shadows of Motown".  It told the story of the Funk Brothers that backed up the Motown artists.

Great and influential bass player...and I cant even stand Motown.

James Jamerson rates right up there with Jaco for the most influential bass player of all time. A true genius.