He toured with singer Sarah Vaughan during the 1970s, and played with pianist Hank Jones and bassist Eddie Gomez in the Great Jazz Trio.
He got jobs as a dishwasher and busboy so he could pay for his first drum set. He practiced at Saturday-night dances held at his grandfather's tobacco farm. When he was 18, he played at the Blue Mirror club in Washington DC, backing up singer Billie Holiday.
He was the last surviving member of Miles Davis' combo, which included John Coltrane, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Paul Chambers, Bill Evans and, later, Wynton Kelly.
He taught classes at Stanford University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Berklee College of Music.