OHIO PLAYERS' DRUMMER 'DIAMOND' WILLIAMS

The drum legend from the Dayton funk ensemble talks funk and fun

For any funk fanatic the Ohio Players are one of the seminal ensembles. “Fire,” “Skin Tight,” “I Wanna Be Free,” “Love Rollercoaster,” “Fopp,” and “The Funky Worm” are just a few of the timeless jams that this group released in their heyday. Aside from their hits, the Players were the inspiration for a wave of Dayton based bands (Slave, Zapp, Lakeside, Aurra, Faze-O, Heatwave) that made the city a center of great musicianship. The anchor of that group was drummer James ‘Diamond’ Williams, an inovative timekeeper who drove the band’s dance rhythms and added tasty fills to their ballads. I interviewed him for my 2012 documentary ‘Finding the Funk’ (its available in Amazom for rent or purchase) but never got the chance to post the entire interview which deals with everything from Dayton’s vibrant band culture in the ‘60s and ‘70s to the Player’s sexually provocative albums. A fun journey to the land of funk.