John "Jabó" Starks began playing as a child while attending Chickasaw Elementary School in Alabama. After high school he attended Alabama State College (now Bishop State). Jab'o played in most clubs in Mobile. Club Harlem is where he met Bobby "Blue" Bland which began his career on the road.

In 1965 he joined the James Brown Band. While with James Brown he played with Clyde Stubblefield where the "funky drummers" excelled. After approximately eleven and one half years he then performed and recorded with B. B. King for about six years.

During this time frame he appeared on The Tonight Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. Recently, Clyde and Jab'o have appeared on the cover of Modern Drummer and Stick It Magazines.

His and Clyde's instructional video's, Soul of the Funky Drummers, special guest are Fred Wesley, John Schofield, John Medeski and Fred Thomas. The new JB's CD, Bring the Funk on Down, is produced by Fred Wesley. October 1999 he toured with the JB's in Japan. March 2000 begins the recording of the FunkMasters L.L.P.'s new "funky" CD which should be released late spring or early summer of 2000.