MUSICIAN OF THE MONTH, MASSES OF MUSIC TRIVIA

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Our Thoughts Go Out To Donald Dunn's Family
May He Rest In Peace

Donald "Duck" Dunn
November 24th 1941 ~ May 13th 2012
Influential award-winng American bassist, Donald "Duck" Dunn, who helped create the gritty Memphis soul sound in the 60s and 70s as a member of the legendary Booker T & the MGs, has unexpectedly and so sadly, died in his sleep after finishing a double show at the Blue Note night club in Tokyo the evening before. Donald who was 70 years old, leaves behind his wife June, his son Jeff, and grandchild Michael.
Donald "Duck" Dunn - Barry Brecheisen/WireImage

Donald "Duck" Dunn - Barry Brecheisen/WireImage

American legendary bass guitarist, record producer, and songwriter, Donald was born in Memphis, Tennessee. While still at school he took up bass and along with his friends guitarist Steve Cropper, Charlie Freeman, drummer Terry Johnson, formed "The Royal Spades". This Messick High School group were joined by keyboardist Jerry "Smoochy" Smith, singer Ronnie "Stoots" Angel and a budding young horn section in baritone saxophone player Don Nix, tenor saxophone player Charles "Packy" Axton, and trumpeter, the future co-founder of The Memphis Horns, Wayne Jackson. Donald was totally self taught by playing along with records, but he would fill in what he thought should be there, which made his bass lines very unique. They were signed to Satellite (later Stax) Records, and had national hit with "Last Night" in 1961 under their new name "The Mar-Keys", but he left the Mar-Keys in 1962 to join Ben Branch's big band. In 1964 he rejoined Stax Records and Steve Cooper when he became bassist with The Booker T and the M.G.s, the driving force behind the gritty Southern Soul sound. Stax became known for Jackson's drum sound, the sound of The Memphis Horns, and Duck Dunn's grooves. The MGs with Donald's bass lines can be heard on most of the great Stax hits like Otis Redding's "Respect" and "I Can't Turn You Loose"; Sam & Dave's "Hold On, I'm Comin'", and Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign". His bass playing was very influential in the history of music. He, Cropper, Jackson, and Jones recorded their first album, Hip Hug-He, in 1967. Donald went on to play for Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Bob Dylan, Guy Sebastian, CCR, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Buchanan, Arthur Conley, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart among others. He was the featured bassist for Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty's "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" from Nicks' 1981 debut solo album Bella Donna, as well as other Petty tracks between 1976-81. He reunited with Cropper as a member of Levon Helm's RCO All Stars and displayed his quirky Southern humor making two movies with Cropper, former Stax drummer Willie Hall, and Dan Aykroyd, as a member of The Blues Brothers band. In 1992, he was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T & the MG's. Donald semi-retired in the 2000s, but he still performed occasionally with Booker T & the MGs at clubs and festivals. In June 2004, he, Cropper, and Jones served as the house band for Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival and in 2007 he and several Booker T & the MG's members were given a "Lifetime Achievement" Grammy award for their contributions to popular music. In 2008, he worked with Australian soul singer Guy Sebastian on an 18-date concert tour, for The Memphis Album. Donald was in Japan at the time of his death, as part of an ongoing tour with Steve Cropper and Eddie Floyd.
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