James Stanley McCarty (born 25 July 1943)[1] is an English musician, best known as the drummer for the Yardbirds and Renaissance.

[2] Following Chris Dreja's departure from the Yardbirds in 2013, McCarty became the only founding member to still tour in the band.

He was born at Walton Hospital in Liverpool, England,[1] but his family moved to London when he was two years old.

When playing with the early Yardbirds, he worked as a clerk for the stockbroking firm Phillips & Drew in the City of London.

McCarty has released three solo albums : Out of the Dark (1994), Sitting on the Top of Time (2009), and Walking in the Wild Land.