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Are any members of the Funk Brothers still alive?

Are any members of the Funk Brothers still alive?

With the death of Willis, only guitarist Joe Messina and percussionist Jack Ashford remain from the seminal, core lineup of the Funk Brothers, the revered Motown house band that largely worked in obscurity. …

Where do the Funk Brothers live?

Detroit, Michigan
The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972….

The Funk Brothers
Origin Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genres Soul, funk, R&B
Years active 1959–1972
Labels Motown

Did the Funk Brothers get paid?

WASHINGTON – They defined the Sound of Young America. They were paid – about $10 an hour – but the Funk Brothers never got credited for their round-the-clock session work in the cramped basement of Studio A at 2648 West Grand Blvd. in Detroit, Motown’s headquarters.

Where are the Funk Brothers from?

Detroit, MI
The Funk Brothers/Origin

Where did the Funk Brothers hide out to get a break from the studio?

The music industry is notoriously exploitative, but Motown seemed in a class of its own: The studio actually paid some of the Funk Brothers to spy on one another (they pocketed the money and laughed); the overworked musicians, meanwhile, took to hiding from the boss in a nearby funeral parlor.

What does Motown stand for?

Its name, a portmanteau of motor and town, has become a nickname for Detroit, where the label was originally headquartered. Motown played an important role in the racial integration of popular music as an African American-owned label that achieved crossover success.

Who was the bassist for the Funk Brothers?

James Jamerson1959 – 1972
Bob Babbitt1966 – 1972
The Funk Brothers/Bassists

Who was the Motown bass player?

James Jamerson
James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bass player….

James Jamerson
Instruments Bass guitar, double bass
Years active 1956–1983
Labels Motown, and others
Associated acts The Funk Brothers

Where did the Funk Brothers go to hide out when their bosses at Motown were looking for them?

funeral parlor
The music industry is notoriously exploitative, but Motown seemed in a class of its own: The studio actually paid some of the Funk Brothers to spy on one another (they pocketed the money and laughed); the overworked musicians, meanwhile, took to hiding from the boss in a nearby funeral parlor.

Why did Motown move to LA?

During the 1960s, Motown achieved 79 records in the top-ten of the Billboard Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969. Following the events of the Detroit Riots of 1967, and the loss of key songwriting/production team Holland–Dozier–Holland that year over pay disputes, Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles, California.

How many people were in the Funk Brothers?

13
While other musicians accompanied them from time to time, the Funk Brothers band was a 13-member group of highly-talented musicians comprised of: Richard “Pistol” Allen, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt, William “Benny” Benjamin, Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Johnny Griffith, Joe Hunter, James Jamerson, Uriel Jones, Joe Messina.

Was Motown all black?

Arriving at the height of the civil rights movement, Motown was a black-owned, black-centered business that gave white America something they just could not get enough of — joyous, sad, romantic, mad, groovin’, movin’ music. (See an audio slideshow of five of Motown’s best tunes.)