Donald Dunn

Donald Dunn with Lakland electric bass

Donald "Duck" Dunn (born November 24, 1941 in Memphis , Tennessee , † May 13, 2012 in Tokyo , Japan ) was an American bassist , music producer and songwriter . Among other things, he was a member of the rhythm and blues band The Blues Brothers and was known to a wide audience primarily through his appearances in the films Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000 .

Career

Donald "Duck" Dunn (left) and Steve Cropper (right) at the Memphis tour of Guy Sebastian (center) in Australia 2008

In his biography, Dunn says that the nickname "Duck" came from his father and then simply stuck with him. He began his career together with his childhood friend, the guitarist Steve Cropper , in the band The Royal Spades . Then he played first as a bassist with Ben Branch , and later with Stax Studios . He reached many chart positions in the 1960s and 1970s with the bands Booker T. & the MG's and the Mar-Keys . After leaving Stax, Dunn played as a studio and live bassist for musicians such as Muddy Waters , Freddie King , Albert King , Neil Young , Jerry Lee Lewis and Rod Stewart . He was also the bass player for Eric Clapton , including for Live Aid .

Dunn was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the band Booker T. & the MG's in 1992 and received the 2007 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award .

The night before his death, he made his last appearance with Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper, with whom he worked most closely in his life. Dunn died on May 13, 2012 in Tokyo.

Equipment

Donald Dunn's first electric bass was a model from the Kay company in 1958 , he later acquired his first Precision Bass ( P-Bass ) from the manufacturer Fender in the same year and played mainly basses of the P-Bass type, including in films Blues Brothers . In 1998 Fender released a signature model in "Candy Apple Red", which was technically based on the Precision basses of the late 1950s.

In 1999 he switched to P-basses from the manufacturer Lakland , which also brought a signature model onto the market. A special feature of the Lakland Duck Dunn Signature Bass is the slimmer neck, the saddle width of which corresponds to the Fender Jazz Bass neck and is screwed onto a classic Precision body.

Dunn was still an endorser at Ampeg and played SVT-4PRO amplifiers and SVT-810E boxes.

Web links

• Donald Dunn in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Works by and about Donald Dunn in the catalog of the German National Library
• Detailed information at www.duckdunn.com
• Profile at Blues Brothers Central

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Legendary bassist Donald 'Duck' Dunn Passes Away At Age 70
2. ↑ Biography. ( Memento of the original from June 15, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on: duckdunn.com  
3. ↑ Fender website: The Precision Bass in the 1960s ( Memento of the original from October 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
4. ↑ Fender website: The Precision Bass in the 1950s ( Memento of the original from November 10, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
5. ↑ Lakland website: The Duck Dunn Signature Bass: Built For Comfort and Speed
6. ↑ Lakland website: 44-64 Custom (Vintage Pw / J Neck) formerly known as the Duck Dunn Signature ( Memento of the original from April 20, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
7. ^ Donald "Duck" Dunn at www.ampeg.com