By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: February 8, 2007
CHICAGO, Feb. 7 (AFP) ― Joe Hunter, prominent among the handful of
studio musicians who helped invent the Motown Sound, was found dead on
Friday in his Detroit apartment. He was 79.
His son Joe Hunter Jr. confirmed his death to The Detroit News. He did
not give a cause, but said his father, a diabetic, had apparently been
trying to take some medicine when he died.
A keyboardist, Joe Hunter was the first leader of Motown Records'
studio musicians, the Funk Brothers, who created the backup sound for
scores of 1960s soul hits like "I Heard It Through the Grapevine,"
"Baby Love," "My Guy," "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "The Tears of a
Clown."
Born in Jackson, Tenn., Mr. Hunter joined the fledgling Motown Records
in 1958 and became leader of the Funk Brothers. They were prolific
session musicians who played backup on four-fifths of Motown's
recordings in the '60s and early '70s.
Motown was then producing hits for artists like Smokey Robinson and
the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Supremes,
the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Jackson 5 and Gladys Knight and
the Pips.
Mr. Hunter had left Motown by 1963, but his keyboard style set the
down-home, rootsy feel on most of the label's early twist, doo-wop and
blues-influenced recordings, said the producers of "Standing in the
Shadows of Motown," a 2002 documentary on Motown's unsung heroes.
"Joe Hunter's piano and stellar leadership helped birth the Motown
Sound," said Bruce Resnikoff, president of Universal Music
Enterprises, the parent label of Motown, in a statement. "You can't
miss Joe's piano on those great early hits. The first of the Funk
Brothers, his terrific riffs and easygoing musicianship will live
forever."
In recent years the Funk Brothers enjoyed something of a renaissance:
in 2004 the group received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and
began to tour again.
Mr. Hunter had just returned from a European tour with a Funk Brother
colleague.
Published: February 8, 2007
CHICAGO, Feb. 7 (AFP) ― Joe Hunter, prominent among the handful of
studio musicians who helped invent the Motown Sound, was found dead on
Friday in his Detroit apartment. He was 79.
His son Joe Hunter Jr. confirmed his death to The Detroit News. He did
not give a cause, but said his father, a diabetic, had apparently been
trying to take some medicine when he died.
A keyboardist, Joe Hunter was the first leader of Motown Records'
studio musicians, the Funk Brothers, who created the backup sound for
scores of 1960s soul hits like "I Heard It Through the Grapevine,"
"Baby Love," "My Guy," "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" and "The Tears of a
Clown."
Born in Jackson, Tenn., Mr. Hunter joined the fledgling Motown Records
in 1958 and became leader of the Funk Brothers. They were prolific
session musicians who played backup on four-fifths of Motown's
recordings in the '60s and early '70s.
Motown was then producing hits for artists like Smokey Robinson and
the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Supremes,
the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Jackson 5 and Gladys Knight and
the Pips.
Mr. Hunter had left Motown by 1963, but his keyboard style set the
down-home, rootsy feel on most of the label's early twist, doo-wop and
blues-influenced recordings, said the producers of "Standing in the
Shadows of Motown," a 2002 documentary on Motown's unsung heroes.
"Joe Hunter's piano and stellar leadership helped birth the Motown
Sound," said Bruce Resnikoff, president of Universal Music
Enterprises, the parent label of Motown, in a statement. "You can't
miss Joe's piano on those great early hits. The first of the Funk
Brothers, his terrific riffs and easygoing musicianship will live
forever."
In recent years the Funk Brothers enjoyed something of a renaissance:
in 2004 the group received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and
began to tour again.
Mr. Hunter had just returned from a European tour with a Funk Brother
colleague.
