Hamilton Bohannon

Hamilton Bohannon is undervalued despite a deep connection to Motown, a discography boasting some of the deepest soul and funkiest disco of the '70s, and enduring impact as a sample source. Established as a drummer and band leader with Stevie Wonder and other Motown acts from 1965 through 1972, the musician, songwriter, and producer blazed a trail of his own with 18 studio albums from 1973 through 1983. The majority of his output appealed to partying, with the Top Ten Billboard disco/club hits "Foot Stompin' Music," "Bohannon's Beat," "Let's Start the Dance," and "Let's Start II Dance Again" typifying his feel-good, driving, grit-caked sound. Two years before his final performance, and three years before his death, the Georgia street on which he grew up was renamed in his honor.