Jonathan Phillip "Sugarfoot" Moffett (born November 17, 1954) is an American drummer, songwriter and record producer from New Orleans, Louisiana.[1] Beginning in 1979, Moffett collaborated with the Jackson family, particularly Michael Jackson, over the course of 30 years. More recently, he has worked with other notable artists and producers such as Madonna, George Michael, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and many others.[2]
He initially wanted to play the bass guitar long before drums. He was always acutely aware of the bass guitar parts in songs and mimicked them on the bass drum.[4] Moffett was never musically trained and learned to play drums on his own by ear.[5] He was nicknamed "Sugarfoot" for his quick, articulate, and pronounced bass drum work, which requires a lot of precision and stamina for a drummer. He plays 16th note, 32nd note, and 64th note figures energetically and fluidly within rhythms.[6] Moffett started off his drumming career by performing locally with prominent bands within the region and at nightclubs as a young boy.
He came up with his kung-fu inspired signature moves during a marathon practice session late one evening—the "one-handed cymbal catch" and his "backlash-whiplash"[7] cymbal crashes (single and/or double hand) where he places two cymbals behind him and crashes/chokes them without looking.[8]
Career
The Jacksons
Initial audition
Moffett in 2018
Moffett's professional career initially started with the Jacksons. In 1979, through serendipity, he came across the Jacksons' musical director, James McField, who told him they were auditioning for a new drummer. Though the final auditions were that day, they extended it for him, knowing how eager he was to play for the group. According to an article by Robyn Flans in Drummer Magazine in September 1984, Moffett said:
He [McField] called that night and the audition was set for the next day. I was familiar with their songs [the Jacksons'] because I had grown up with their music, yet I didn't know everything about the music...After we finished a few songs, they pulled me aside and said they'd let me know something soon. That evening, I got the call and they said they wanted me to join the group. It was just a miracle.[9]
Touring
His first major tour was the Destiny Tour (1979–1980).[10] After his first show with the group, Michael Jackson was in awe by Moffett's ability to keep up with his dancing, always accenting his dance moves, which gave his dancing more power and prominence.[11] He also used his "one-handed cymbal catch" frequently, in which Moffett explained to Zildjian:
With the Jacksons, I'll use it to accent certain moments before the vocal chorus. OR when Michael makes a move and stops real quick, I'll accent that with a catch. You've got to do it fast and drop back into the rhythm without breaking time.[8]
He proceeded to perform on the Triumph Tour in 1981, which Rolling Stone later named as one of the best 25 tours of 1967 to 1987. Epic decided to have one of the shows from the tour recorded due to its immense popularity and success. Moffett also drummed around the United States and Canada for the record-breaking and famous Victory Tour (1984), where he met Madonna backstage who asked him to drum for her upcoming Virgin Tour (1985).[12][13][14] The Victory Tour promoted Michael Jackson's albums Off the Wall (1979) and Thriller (1982) and was promoted by Don King. Moffett performed with Eddie Van Halen, who made a few special appearances on some of the shows playing "Beat It" on guitar. Prince complimented Moffett after many shows with the Jacksons (and did the same seeing him live with other artists). He'd nod his head, smile, and say, "That was bad, you're bad."[citation needed]
Moffett behind an extensive drum kit in 2013
When Moffett turned professional, he designed innovative futuristic drum kits for every tour to complement the stage design. His work with the Jacksons and unique drumming style led him to become one of the most in-demand pop music drummers and perform on 23 world tours.[15]
Pepsi commercial
Moffett was present during the infamous Pepsi commercial shoot in 1984 when Jackson suffered from second-degree burns from the blazing pyrotechnics. He noticed the flames on Jackson's hair at one point during the shoot and dropped his drum sticks and ran to help him just as some crew members did the same.[16]
In the studio and The Jacksons Live! album
He is credited for live drumming on The Jacksons Live! album (1981), which was RIAA-certified Gold.[17] The double-disc album contains recordings of songs performed throughout the Triumph Tour. He also later recorded on the Jacksons' albums Victory (1984) and 2300 Jackson Street (1989).[18]
Madonna
Touring with Madonna
After their initial meet during the Jacksons' Victory Tour, Moffett finally agreed to tour with Madonna on her debut tour, the Virgin Tour alongside Victory Tour bandmate, Patrick Leonard (musical director/keyboardist). The tour took place only in the United States and Canada. He was featured in Madonna's 1985 "Dress You Up" music video which was basically concert footage of her performing the song during the Virgin Tour. With the success of the tour, which was also released as a video album, Madonna requested Moffett to tour with her on her second tour, the Who's That Girl Tour (1987). The tour took place on a global level and was a huge commercial success, superseding the previous tour, and he continued touring with her on her controversial yet groundbreaking Blond Ambition Tour (1990), which received accolades for its intricate choreography and stage production.[19][20] The tour was followed by a 1991 motion picture film, Madonna: Truth or Dare, which Moffett was featured in.
In the studio
Moffett also recorded on three Madonna albums with producer Patrick Leonard—True Blue (1986), Like a Prayer (1989), and I'm Breathless (1990).[17] He recorded drums, percussion, and background vocals on all three albums.[17]
Elton John turned to Moffett for his comeback Reg Strikes Back Tour (1988–1989), with a total of 87 shows, and which he utilized to fight bad press. Elton again hired Moffett for his Sleeping with the Past Tour (1989–1990), with a total of 74 shows.
In the studio
Moffett drummed on John's Sleeping with the Past (1989) album, which was John's best selling album in Denmark, where the album was recorded. It was more successful than the tour. The album was also John's first platinum album since 1983 with many hit singles. Moffett was also credited on To Be Continued—a four-disc box set, recorded on various locations between 1965 and 1991, that chronicled John's songs from his days with Bluesology to the present day, including newly recorded songs. He was also credited for live drumming on John's Duets album (1993) for the song "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" which was recorded live with George Michael at Wembley Arena in 1991. He is also credited on Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin (1991) and was additionally featured in the 1991 TV movie Two Rooms: A Tribute to Elton John & Bernie Taupin.[22]
George Michael
Michael called Moffett to tour with him on his Cover to Cover tour (1991). Totaling 30 shows, the tour took place in the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, Canada and the United States. Moffett also performed with Michael at the Rock in Rio festival, which is a recurring music festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Janet Jackson
He toured with Janet Jackson during the first leg of her janet. World Tour (1993–1995). The tour took place throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Jackson asked Moffett to collaborate on a song he wrote for Diana Ross titled "Muscles". Moffett played both drums and percussion on the track. The song was named after Jackson's pet snake and released in 1982. It was an instant hit and reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100.[26]
This Is It rehearsals and film
Moffett was supposed to perform on Jackson's This Is It concerts (2009–2010), rehearsing for months. The concerts were cancelled following Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, eighteen days before the first slated performance.[27]
He was featured in Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009) documentary motion picture film alongside many other concert films, shows, and documentaries. This Is It's worldwide gross revenue was $261 million, making it the highest-grossing concert film of all time. There are snippets of him drumming throughout the documentary as well as discussing the concert series that never came to be and his history with Jackson.[28]
Friendship with Jackson
Though Moffett was known as "Sugarfoot" to the rest of the world, Jackson cut his stage name short and called him "Foot" instead. Moffett was Jackson's live drummer of choice from the beginning when he first started drumming with the Jacksons. Jackson always called him first for each tour and show, even when he was under contract with other artists.[5] The two collaborated over the course of 30 years starting in 1979 to 2009 with a total of four tours together; This Is It would have been the fifth. Aside from working with Jackson, he was friends with him and hung out at the Jackson Estate (Hayvenhurst home) with the family (including Jackson family matriarch, Katherine Jackson, who he considers his "second mother") and one-on-one with Jackson at Neverland Ranch and his other homes.[29] The two had drawing contests on the road when touring and Jackson sent him birthday and holiday cards when they were not together.[30] Moffett was with Jackson the night before he died until 1 AM.[31]
Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour
Following Michael Jackson's passing, Moffett drummed around the world honoring the pop star with Cirque du Soleil's Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour (2011–2014).[13] The tour is listed as one of the top-grossing tours of all time with a gross revenue of $360 million, totaling 501 shows at 157 venues in 28 countries worldwide.[33]
Tribute to Jackson at AIMS
Moffett also performed at the Australian Music Show (AIMS) and hosted a drum clinic in which he performed ten Michael Jackson songs that were supposed to be performed during This Is It.[34]
Motown to Off the Wall documentary
Moffett was featured in Spike Lee's 2016 Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall documentary, which was Lee's second documentary on Michael Jackson since Bad 25 (2012). The documentary was released with the reissue of the Off the Wall (1979) album. Moffett spoke of his initial audition with the Jacksons and early days with Jackson and the group.
Moffett is currently sponsored by Drum Workshop (DW), Remo Drum Heads, Empire Ear Monitors, Earthworks Microphones,[11]Roland, Audeze Headphones, QSC and Gruv Gear. Over the years he has played a variety of cymbals including Zildjian and Istanbul Mehmet. Additionally he designed his own signature Jonathan Moffett Duo drum sticks in 1996 and designed his own cymbal called the Moffett "M" Series with Soultone back when he endorsed them, but later had a falling out with the company. He is currently in the process of designing his very own drum products and has an upcoming line of drum sticks coming out called "Sweet Beats", which will be sold on his web store, the Moffett Store.[11][needs update]
Moffett's drumming techniques and style are often mimicked by drummers all over the world to this day, and his work is taught in various music schools. His drum beat on "Don't Stop the Music" (1981) which he recorded with the Yarbrough and Peoples has been sampled by a multitude of modern artists (over 45 times) including on TLC's "Let's Do It Again" (1994), Nuttin' Nyce's "Froggy Style" (1995), P. Diddy's "Don't Stop What You're Doin'" (1997), on the soundtracks Soul Food and Playa, and by Eve, Alicia Keys, Keyshia Cole, Fat Pat, Beyoncé, Missy Elliott, Tichina Arnold and others. Rapper 2Pac sampled the song in 1996 on his unreleased original version of "Don't Stop", later remixed for his 2006 Pac's Life album.[citation needed]
