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From Steve Cropper's Facebook page:
Today I lost my best friend, the World has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live. Duck Dunn died in his sleep Sunday morning May 13 in Tokyo Japan after finishing 2 shows at the Blue Note Night Club.

One of the best bass players ever. Incredible credits list.
RIP Mr. Dunn

Unbelievably Sad, a fantastic Bassist, R.I.P.

Bass guitarist Donald "Duck" Dunn, who played with Booker T and the MGs, has died in Tokyo aged 70.

The MGs were the house band for Stax Records, and Dunn can be heard on songs such as Otis Redding's Respect and Sam and Dave's Hold On, I'm Comin'.

He was in Japan for a series of concerts, and had played two shows on Saturday night.

His friend and fellow musician Steve Cropper, who was on the same tour, said Dunn had died in his sleep.

"Today I lost my best friend," Cropper wrote on his Facebook page. "The World has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live".

Miho Harasawa, a spokeswoman for Tokyo Blue Note, the last venue Dunn played, confirmed he died alone early Sunday. She had no further details.
Famous fans

Born in Memphis on November 24, 1941, Dunn started playing bass at the age of 16.

"I tried the guitar but it had two strings too many," he wrote on his website.

"It was just too complicated, man! Plus, I grew up with Steve Cropper. There were so many good guitar players; another one wasn't needed. What was needed was a bass."

His distinctive grooves underpinned dozens of hit records for the legendary Stax label - including Soul Man and Try A Little Tenderness. The MGs scored their own hit with Green Onions in 1962.
McLemore Avenue by Booker T and the MGs The MGs were so enamoured with The Beatles' Abbey Road that they recorded their own version

"We were recording almost a hit a day for a while there," he said. "But I never knew how popular that music was until I came to England with Otis Redding in 1967."

That tour, which also featured Sam and Dave, Eddie Floyd, and Arthur Conley, was feted by Britain's rock royalty - many of whom had been influenced by the Stax house band.

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, John Mayall, Roger Daltrey, Pete Townsend, and The Beatles all attended shows and, according to legend, The Beatles sent limousines to pick up the Stax crew each night after the shows.

In return, Booker T and the MGs covered the entire Beatles' Abbey Road album. Their version was called McLemore Avenue, which was the address of the Stax studio complex, and the cover mimicked the Fab Four's famous zebra crossing photo.

The band later provided backing for the John Lennon solo track Beef Jerky.

In his later career, Dunn worked with the likes of Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart.

He played himself in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers, and its 2000 sequel.

The MGs were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and Dunn received a lifetime achievement Grammy award in 2007.

Damn it. There's a deep groove in heaven today.

Duck Dunn has always been a role model for me as a bass player. No popping and slapping and showing off...just get in the pocket with the drummer and stay there.

http://youtu.be/2Py37G9qsfY
Like THIS.

Enormous talent and legacy that will be sorely missed..RIP.....

just was watchin booker t the other nite on letterman as a guest and they were talking bout the old band. only got to see the guy play a couple of times. rest in peace duck

This one really hurts too....:( So very sad. I'm sure Cropper is just totally stunned. :( What a talent he was....

Cropper PLAYED with him just hours before .... devastated would sum it up I think ....

The Best .........RIP Duck Dunn........Got this one hurts. Damn.

lotsajizz wrote on May 13^th, 2012 at 6:55pm:

Cropper PLAYED with him just hours before .... devastated would sum it up I think ....

Yes. Devastated. :(

Well I feel bad but dying in your sleep seems like the easiest and best way to go out. Since he went out peacefully, he really should RIP!

" Well I feel bad but dying in your sleep seems like the easiest and best way to go out. Since he went out peacefully, he really should RIP ! "

Concur ...... BITCH !!!!!

RIP ....... he was one Hell of a Bass Player .... ranked right up there with The Ox ( RIP ) and Macca .

http://billwyman.com/site/news/746/

Bill Wyman has paid tribute to Donald "Duck" Dunn - the famed American bass guitarist and long-time personal friend of Bill's. Bill says he was saddened to hear of his friend's passing, and Bill and Donald both were in touch daily. Bill has known Donald since the 1970s, and had been emailing Donald the day before his death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=dael4sb42nI

For music fans, Donald "Duck" Dunn needs no introduction, but here is a short bio for those who want to know more:

Donald "Duck" Dunn (24 November 1941 - 13 May 2012) was an American bass guitarist, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax Records, which specialized in blues and gospel-infused southern soul and Memphis soul music styles. Dunn also performed on recordings with The Blues Brothers, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Albert King, Levon Helm, Neil Young, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Guy Sebastian, Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Roy Buchanan and Arthur Conley.

On the morning of May 13, 2012, Dunn died in his sleep after finishing two shows at the Blue Note night club in Tokyo.

Bill asked that the video clip of Donald performing "Try A Little Tenderness" with the legendary Otis Redding as his tribute to him.

RIP Donald "Duck" Dunn.

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http://rocksoff.org/cgi-bin/messageboard/YaBB.pl GENERAL >> MAIN BOARD >> RIP Duck Dunn http://rocksoff.org/cgi-bin/messageboard/YaBB.pl?num=1336886228 Message started by sweetcharmedlife on May 13^th, 2012 at 12:17am