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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBass player Donald 'Duck' Dunn dies in Tokyo
(05-13) 01:40 PDT TOKYO, Japan (AP) --
Bass player and songwriter Donald "Duck" Dunn, a member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame band Booker T. and the MGs and the Blues Brothers band, has died in Tokyo. He was 70.
Dunn was in Tokyo for a series of shows. News of his death was posted on the Facebook site of his friend and fellow musician Steve Cropper, who was on the same tour. Cropper said Dunn died in his sleep.
Miho Harasawa, a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note, the last venue Dunn played, confirmed he died alone early Sunday. She had no further details.
Dunn, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1941, performed on recordings with Eric Clapton, Neil Young and many others, and specialized in blues, gospel and soul. He played himself in the 1980 hit movie "The Blues Brothers."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/05/13/international/i013114D54.DTL
malthaussen
(17,216 posts)n/t
marmar
(77,090 posts)RIP, brother Donald.
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)A match truly in Heaven now. Cross gently, Duck...
BarbaRosa
(2,685 posts)I believe he played a P-bass. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_'Duck'_Dunn
Very sad, none the less
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)As I said above, he was a Groove Master and with a GM, it don't matter too much about the tones, especially the differences in tones between a Jazz and a Precision. The groove is EVERYTHING.
BarbaRosa
(2,685 posts)I didn't really mean to get picky about it, but as a P player, I pick up on those things. He was one who inspired me to get my P-bass.
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)lostnote12
(159 posts)waddirum
(979 posts)at the Harris Theater in Chicago, opening for Mavis Staples.
RIP
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)As a bass player, he was what I aspired to be. RIP.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)Gigging to the end....
panader0
(25,816 posts)Condolences to his family and his longtime friend Steve Cropper.
Bluzmann57
(12,336 posts)Michael Burks a few days ago, now Duck Dunn. Who's next? These things always happen in threes it seems.
R.I.P. to Donald Dunn.
NBachers
(17,136 posts)Bluzmann57
(12,336 posts)Hopefully, no more great artists will die any time soon. We're losing too many as it is.
bluesbassman
(19,379 posts)Been a rough year for Rock and Blues musicians.
RIP Duck.
progressoid
(49,999 posts)MrScorpio
(73,631 posts)RIP, Duck
leeroysphitz
(10,462 posts)Paladin
(28,272 posts)proud2BlibKansan
(96,793 posts)madrchsod
(58,162 posts)Botany
(70,581 posts)Ikonoklast
(23,973 posts)Dunn had a career most people can only dream of.
Just last month heard an interview of Duck and Steve Cropper.
Keep jammin', Duck.
Tikki
(14,559 posts)R I P Mr. Dunn
Tikki
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)I saw him play at the legendary and somewhat scuzzy King Edward Hotel in Calgary many years ago. We used to love going there on weekends to drink a lot of beer and listen to a lot of good music.
OriginalGeek
(12,132 posts)for lots of beer and good music.
mwb970
(11,365 posts)That was the James Gang LP that frustrated people with "automatic" turntables since it had silliness recorded in the very last grooves on each side side one had "turn me over , turn me over , turn me over " side two was something like: "We're done We can't be done! Why Not? Because Dunn is in California!"
Ohio Joe
(21,761 posts)progressoid
(49,999 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)klook
(12,165 posts)I love Booker T. and the M.G.s, and Duck Dunn was one of my favorite musicians. Very sad news. I still haven't gotten over the death of Al Jackson 37 years ago, to tell you the truth.
L-R: Al Jackson, Jr. (drums), Booker T. Jones (organ, piano), Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass), Steve Cropper (guitar)
These guys were and are a huge influence on me personally, not only for their music but for their participation in an integrated group of Southerners in a time and place when that was truly daring.
- from bookert.com:
My good friend and bass player, Donald Duck Dunn has passed away this morning in Tokyo. He was in the company of good friends Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper. My daughter Cicely called to tell me the news. Steve said he died in his sleep.
I am struck deeply by Ducks death, have just begun to shed tears over Levon Helm, Andrew Love, and Chris Ethridge. And I must here mention that we have also lost Skip Pitts (guitar on Its Your Thing and Shaft).
God is calling names in the music world. He gave us these treasures and now he is taking them back. Duck was too close to me for me to at this point realize the full implications of his passing. Im just trying to pray for those who were closer to him his wife June, and his son Jeff, and his brothers and sister.
I cant imagine not being able to hear Duck laugh and curse, but Im thankful I got to spend time and make music with him. His intensity was incomparable. Everyone loved him. None more than Otis Redding.
Of all the departures of the past 30 days, this one is the hardest and most crushing for me. It was totally unexpected, and Ive rarely had tears come so quickly. Ive always believed that every closing door opens another, and this one will have some good effect too, somewhere down the line.
Thank you all for your prayers and condolences, and just know that Duck is somewhere smiling down on all of us saying, Got Damn!!!