[1] 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".

In the 1990s, his film score assignments shifted into high gear, drumming for Hans Zimmer, Christophe Beck and James Newton Howard.

JR's schoolmates included bass guitarist Neil Stubenhaus and drummers Steve Smith, Kenwood Dennard, Vinnie Colaiuta and Casey Scheuerell.

[1] The first thing JR did on the project was go to Allen Zentz Recording Studios to overdub drums for the songs "Girlfriend" and "It's the Falling in Love", replacing the previous drummer's work.

JR remembers going to Westlake Recording Studios to cut basic tracks for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" with just keys, bass and drums.

Later that year, the Rufus album Camouflage brought JR another hit single, "Sharing the Love", which reached number 8 on the R&B chart.

[14] Rufus released Seal in Red in 1983, and JR also played on the Rufus/Chaka Khan single "Ain't Nobody" which topped the R&B chart and rose to number 22 on the Hot 100.

[4] JR said that he recorded his part for "Ain't Nobody" at Amigo Studios in Hollywood, replacing a drum machine demo track with his own ideas, but keeping a robotic feel.

Once again, JR joined bassist Nathan Watts to form the rhythm section, supporting John Barnes on keys, and a changing lineup of guitarists.

In 1982 at Ocean Way Studio A, JR formed a trio with Richie playing Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer and Abraham Laboriel on electric bass.

[16] Glenn Frey pulled JR on the road with him in September–November 1982, starting in Japan and returning to the US; all in support of his solo album No Fun Aloud.

[15][17] Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones headed the project USA for Africa to provide relief for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia.

[4] He was called by Russ Titelman to bring his drums over to Unique Recording Studios, to work on Steve Winwood's upcoming album, Back in the High Life.

After the song hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986, the pattern was so famous that JR put it on his answering machine to let callers know they had reached the right man.

[2] JR put together his own band in 1986, recruiting his friend bassist Neil Stubenhaus, guitarist Marty Walsh, and pianist Alan Pasqua.

[13] Other work by JR in this period included Bryan Ferry's Bête Noire (1987), TDK's jazz compilation Joyride (1987), Agnetha Fältskog's I Stand Alone (1987) and Boz Scaggs Other Roads (1988).

JR drummed on six of the album's songs: "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Speed Demon", "Liberian Girl", "Dirty Diana" and "Smooth Criminal".

[15] In 1989, Quincy Jones used JR on the quiet storm song, "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" (1990), featuring singers Al B.

[24] Mexican singer Luis Miguel decided to record an album in Los Angeles under the Warner umbrella, and JR was chosen as drummer on the project titled 20 Años.

Two singles from the album rose to number 1 on the US Hot Latin Songs chart: "Entrégate" and "Tengo Todo Excepto a Ti", both in 1990.

[29] JR has participated annually in Celebrity Fight Night, a charity event held in Arizona to benefit the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute.

In 2006–07, JR joined television composer Mike Post in the band L.A. Blues Alliance, made up of local session musicians.

JR backed a wide range of vocalists with a band consisting of himself, keyboardists Greg Phillinganes and David Delhomme, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., bassist Nathan East, and percussionist Paulinho da Costa.

Starting in 2010, JR toured with David Foster,[25] backing singers such as Peter Cetera, the Tenors, Ruben Studdard, Charice and Natalie Cole.

"Instant Crush" performed well on Hot Dance/Electronic, and the album's opening cut "Give Life Back to Music" peaked at number 9 on the Dance Club chart.

[13] His film and television credits include 2009's The Hangover interpreting a score by Christophe Beck,[13] Ordinary People for Marvin Hamlisch in 1980,[9] Grand Canyon (1991), My Cousin Vinny (1992), The Bodyguard (1992), Space Jam (1996), That Thing You Do!

[7] For Man of Steel (2013), JR was the leader of multiple drummers recorded in 5.1 surround sound, arranged by Hans Zimmer.

[4] On television, JR played for the ER series (1994), and he has served multiple times as the drummer for the Academy Awards broadcast orchestra.

[25] Joining sax player Tom Scott and bassist Nathan East, JR scored the music and drummed on the HBO documentary The Bronx, USA in which the video "Gonna Be Alright" emerged (2019), about talent agent George Shapiro.

JR's drum tech, John Oreshnick, appears on the video, as well as David Foster, Nathan East, Paul Jackson, Abraham Laboriel and Luis Conte.