James Vasquez
September 13, 1954 – April 23, 2013
James “Creeper” Vasquez was a Minneapolis drummer who cut his teeth playing in several funk and soul groups that populated the Twin Cities during the 1970s. During his late teens, Vasquez helped form Band of Thieves with Napoleon Crayton and Donald Breddlove. It was Band of Thieves and such contemporaries as the Valdons that went on to influence the likes of Prince and Morris Day who introduced the Minneapolis funk and soul scene to a world-wide audience a decade later. Band of Thieves released just one self-titled album before disbanding. In 2012, Vasquez was all but retired from the music industry when Secret Stash Records released Twin Cities Funk & Soul: Lost Grooves From Minneapolis/St. Paul (1964-1979). To celebrate the release, the label put together The Secret Stash Soul Revue which included Vasquez on drums. He continued to play throughout the area with his former band mates until his passing. On April 23, 2013, James Vasquez died of pancreatic cancer. He was 58.
Thanks to Eric Foss at Secret Stash Records for the assist.
What You Should Own
