John Frederick Robinson (born December 29, 1954), known professionally as JR, is an American drummer and session musician who has been called "one of the most recorded drummers in history". He is known for his work with producer Quincy Jones, including Michael Jackson's multi-platinum Off the Wall album and the charity single "We Are the World". JR's drum fill kicks off Jackson's chart topper "Rock with You", and his drum solo opens the Steve Winwood album Back in the High Life (1986) to begin the number 1 song "Higher Love".
Rolling Stone listed JR in 2016 at number 81 in their list of the top 100 "Greatest Drummers of All Time". He was awarded one Grammy Award for the Rufus/Chaka Khan single "Ain't Nobody", but has played drums on more than 50 Grammy winners.
JR plays in many different styles. His first fame came with the funk band Rufus, and he recorded dance/funk hits with the Pointer Sisters. In the pop and rock fields, his work stretches from the straight-up rock of John Fogerty, Bonnie Raitt and Peter Frampton, to the mainstream pop of Lady Gaga, Daft Punk, Wilson Phillips and Madonna. JR has backed many contemporary R&B singers including Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Anita Baker, as well as vocal pop/soft rock singers such as Barbra Streisand, Seal, Peter Cetera and Rod Stewart. He played on a string of pure country hits by George Strait, Clint Black and Toby Keith. In the 1990s, his film score assignments shifted into high gear, drumming for Hans Zimmer, Christophe Beck and James Newton Howard. And throughout JR's career he has collaborated with jazz artists ranging from Jeff Lorber to David Benoit to Sadao Watanabe. JR said he is "a chameleon kind of drummer".