Bass guitar is the engine of the band.
Happy 73rd Birthday to Willie Weeks, one of the most in-demand session musicians. Weeks has also gained fame touring with many of rock‘s heavyweights throughout his career. In 2006–2007 he was most visible as the chosen bassist for Eric Clapton‘s house band, during his world tour with the Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Weeks was born on August 4, 1947, in Salemburg, North Carolina. He began playing the electric bass in the early 1960s. His earliest influences were country, pop, and R&B music. and bassists Ron Carter, James Jamerson, and Ray Brown.
Weeks gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres. He is one of the most in-demand session musicians. Weeks has worked in the studio or toured with many artists including Gregg Allman, David Bowie, Roy Buchanan, Jimmy Buffett, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Bo Diddley, The Doobie Brothers, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, George Harrison, Donny Hathaway, Etta James, Billy Joel, Rickie Lee Jones, Wynonna Judd, Chaka Khan, B.B. King, Lyle Lovett, David Lee Roth, Michael McDonald, Don McLean, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Bette Midler, Randy Newman, Pino Palladino, Carly Simon, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Richard and Linda Thompson, Joe Walsh, Bobby Womack, Leon Russell, Steve Winwood, Stevie Wonder.
Weeks’ played on Donny Hathaway‘s Live (1972), performing a 3½ minute bass solo on “Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)”, regarded by many bass players as some of his best work. Weeks played a 1962 Fender P-Bass through an Ampeg SVT amplifier on the recording. (initially thought he played through an Ampeg B-15). Weeks also played bass at the Crossroads Guitar Festival on July 28, 2007, at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.
Willie Weeks played with Ask Rufus, the precursor band to Rufus with Chaka Khan. He appeared on their recording of Al Kooper’s song, “Brand New Day.” He played with the Fabulous Amazers and Bill Lordan (pre-Robin Trower drummer) in the Minnesota group, Gypsy. He also played bass guitar for Michael’s Mystics back in the ’60s in Minnesota. Bill Lordan was the drummer of that band as well. That band recorded “Pain” by the Grassroots, a big hit local for the Mystics.
Besides his red 1962 Fender Precision bass Weeks uses a maple-neck 1958 Precision, a 1964 Fender Jazz Bass, and used a tobacco sunburst Kay four-string acoustic bass for Clapton’s “unplugged repertoire”. Weeks used a sunburst 1963 P-Bass during Clapton’s 2008 European Summer tour. In 2014, he began using his “WW” Willie Weeks signature bass by Bee Basses.
His acting career –
Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood: Live from Madison Square Garden —2008
Lightning in a BottleActor – 2004 Blues Brothers 2000
Image Credit: Philip Vaandrager
