Joe Hunter (musician)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Joe Hunter
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
GenresR&B, soul, pop, jazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Keyboards
Years activec. 1950–2007
LabelsMotown, and others

Joseph Edward Hunter (November 19, 1927 – February 2, 2007)

Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers. One of the original Funk Brothers, Hunter served as band director from 1959 until 1964, when he left Motown and was replaced by Earl Van Dyke.[2]

Life and career

Hunter was born in Jackson, Tennessee, to Vada Idona Hunter and John G. Hunter.[3] His mother was a piano teacher and he started playing piano at an early age. At age 11, the family moved to Detroit.[1] He was drafted into the army where he played in the jazz band alongside pianist Dwike Mitchell and drummer Elvin Jones. Hunter was influenced by the music of Art Tatum, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Nat King Cole. After the service, he performed in Detroit jazz clubs and toured with The Midnighters.[1][3][4]

In 1958 he was recruited by

He left Motown in 1964 and pursued a career as a freelance arranger and musician. Although his time with Motown and Funk Brothers was short, his keyboard playing was integral to the "

Motown Sound". He left a lasting impression on future Motown session musicians and artists such as Stevie Wonder.[2][6]

After Motown, he continued to produce and arrange for various artists.[1][2] He worked with record labels Golden World and Fortune and artists Bobby “Blue” Bland, Junior Parker, Edwin Starr, Jimmy Ruffin and others.[2][3] He was involved with Pied Piper Productions,[7] and he was affiliated with artists Dennis Edwards, The Hesitations, Freddy Butler[citation needed] and John Lee Hooker.[8]

In 1996 he authored an autobiography titled Musicians, Motown, and Myself: The Dawn of a New Sound.

Grammys and the Funk Brothers received a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement in 2004. From 2002 to 2007 several of the surviving Funk Brothers, including Hunter, toured as a musical group.[1][5]

In his later years, Hunter continued to perform as a musician in the Detroit area.[2] He died of natural causes on February 2, 2007, at the age of 79.[6][5] He was survived by his son Joe Hunter Jr., his daughter and grandchildren.[1][6]

Bibliography

  • Joe Hunter (1996). Musicians, Motown, and Myself: The Dawn of a New Sound. Detroit: Global Sound Publications. .

Notes

  1. ^ Sources credit Joe Hunter as the pianist on The Miracles' hit single "Shop Around".[1][3] Gerald Posner credits Berry Gordy as the pianist on the final recording of the song.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dave Laing (February 5, 2007). "Joe Hunter". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  2. ^
    Times Online. February 13, 2007. Archived from the original
    on October 15, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Ed Hogan. "AllMusic: Joe Hunter – biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  4. . Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Funk Brothers Pianist Joe Hunter Dies". Billboard. February 3, 2007. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "Joe Hunter, 79, Musician Who Helped Invent Motown Sound, Dies". The New York Times (by Associated Press). February 8, 2007. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  7. ^ Andrew Hamilton. "AllMusic: The Metros – biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  8. . Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  9. . Retrieved August 10, 2022.

External links