The Funk Brothers were a group of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

-based

session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...

s who performed the backing to most

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...

recordings from 1959 until the company moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of studio musicians in music history. Among their hits are " My Girl", "

I Heard It Through the Grapevine "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as ...

", " Baby Love", " I Was Made to Love Her", " Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", " The Tears of a Clown", "

Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, an ...

", and "

Heat Wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

". Some combination of the members played on each of Motown's 100-plus U.S. R&B number one singles and 50-plus U.S. Pop number ones released from 1961 to 1972. There is no undisputed list of the members of the group. Some writers have claimed that virtually every musician who ever played on a Motown track was a "Funk Brother". There are 13 Funk Brothers identified in Paul Justman's 2002

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

'' Standing in the Shadows of Motown'', based on

Allan Slutsky Allan Slutsky, also known by his pen name, Dr. Licks, (born May 5, 1952 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American arranger, guitarist, music producer, and historian. He won a Grammy Award in 2002 for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a ...

's book of the same name. These 13 members were identified by NARAS for the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and were recognized with a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

. In 2007, the Funk Brothers were inducted into the

Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (MHOF) in Nashville honors all musicians regardless of genre or instrument. The MHOF timeline starts with the beginning of recorded music and inductees are nominated by current members of the American Feder ...

History

Early members included bandleader Joe Hunter and

Earl Van Dyke Earl Van Dyke (July 8, 1930 – September 18, 1992) was an American soul musician, most notable as the main keyboardist for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Career Van Dyke, who was born in Detro ...

(piano and organ); Clarence Isabell (double bass);

James Jamerson James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases ...

(bass guitar and double bass); Benny "Papa Zita" Benjamin and Richard "Pistol" Allen (drums);

Mike Terry Mike Terry may refer to: * Mike Terry (recording engineer) * Mike Terry (saxophonist) Andrew Alexander "Mike" Terry (July 18, 1940 – October 30, 2008) was an American saxophonist, songwriter, arranger, producer and musical director. His bariton ...

(baritone saxophone);

Paul Riser Paul Riser (born September 11, 1943) is an American trombonist and Motown musical arranger who was responsible for co-writing and arranging dozens of top ten hit records. His legacy as one of the "Funk Brothers" is similar to that of most of th ...

(trombone); Robert White,

Eddie Willis Eddie "Chank" Willis (June 3, 1936 – August 20, 2018) was an American soul musician. Willis played electric guitar and occasional electric sitar for Motown's in-house studio band, The Funk Brothers, during the 1960s and early 1970s. Career B ...

, and

Joe Messina Joseph Lucian Messina (December 13, 1928 – April 4, 2022) was an American guitarist. Dubbed the " white brother with soul", he was one of the most prolific guitarists in Motown Records' in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers. Early life Me ...

(guitar); Jack Ashford (tambourine, percussion,

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist, ...

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbr ...

); Jack Brokensha (vibraphone, marimba); and Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion). Hunter left in 1964, replaced on keyboards by Johnny Griffith and as bandleader by Van Dyke.

Uriel Jones Uriel Jones (June 13, 1934 – March 24, 2009) was an American musician. Jones was a recording session drummer for Motown's in-house studio band, the Funk Brothers, during the 1960s and early 1970s. Biography Jones was first hired by Motown as a ...

joined the band as a third drummer. Late-era bassist

Bob Babbitt __NOTOC__ Robert Andrew Kreinar (November 26, 1937 – July 16, 2012), known as Bob Babbitt, was a Hungarian- American bassist, most famous for his work as a member of Motown Records' studio band, the Funk Brothers, from 1966 to 1972, as well as ...

and guitarist Dennis Coffey both joined the ensemble in 1966. While most of Motown's backing musicians were African American, and many originally from Detroit, the Funk Brothers included white players as well, such as Messina (who was the featured guitarist on Soupy Sales's nighttime jazz TV show in the 1950s), Brokensha (originally from Australia), Coffey, and Pittsburgh-born Babbitt.

Fame and Funk Brothers name

Unlike their

Stax Records Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records. Stax was ...

backing-band contemporaries Booker T. & the M.G.'s in Memphis, until the release of the '' Standing in the Shadows of Motown'' documentary, the members of the Funk Brothers were little known. Studio musicians were not credited by Motown until

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown (music style), Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player ...

's '' What's Going On'' in 1971, although Motown released a handful of singles and LPs by Earl Van Dyke. The Funk Brothers shared billing with Van Dyke on some recordings, although they were billed as "Earl Van Dyke & the

Soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '':wikt:soul, soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The ea ...

Brothers", since Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr. disliked the word " funk". Alternatively, the name "Funk Brothers" could have been given to the band ex post facto; the term "funky" as an adjective came to be associated with uptempo and backbeat, Southern-styled soul music in the second half of the 1960s; the term "funk" as a noun is typically associated with uptempo soul music from the 1970s onwards. In the ''Standing in the Shadows of Motown'' documentary, Joe Hunter stated that the name "The Funk Brothers" came from Benny Benjamin. Hunter said that Benjamin was leaving the studio (known as the "Snake Pit", due to all the cable runs out of the ceiling) after session work, paused on the stairs, turned and said to his fellow musicians, "You all are the Funk Brothers." The band was then informally named. The Funk Brothers often moonlighted for other labels, recording in Detroit and elsewhere, in bids to augment their Motown salaries. It became a worst-kept secret that Jackie Wilson's 1967 hit " (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" did not have a Motown influence quite by accident—the Funk Brothers migrated to do the Wilson session, in an interesting reference to Motown's early history: Berry Gordy, Jr got his first music break by getting Wilson to record some of his songs (including " Reet Petite") in the 1950s. Various Funk Brothers also appeared on such non-Motown hits as The San Remo Golden Strings "Hungry For Love", "

Cool Jerk "Cool Jerk" is a 1966 song written by Donald Storball and originally performed by the Capitols. It became a hit song in the United States and Canada. It was also used in the 1992 American Christmas comedy film '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York''. ...

" ( the Capitols), "Agent Double-O Soul" (

Edwin Starr Charles Edwin Hatcher (January 21, 1942 – April 2, 2003), known by his stage name Edwin Starr, was an American singer and songwriter. Starr was famous for his Norman Whitfield-produced Motown singles of the 1970s, most notably the number-one ...

, before that singer joined Motown itself), "(I Just Wanna) Testify" by

the Parliaments The Parliaments were an American vocal quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, United States. Originally formed in the back room of a barbershop in 1956, the quintet was named after the cigarette brand. The Parliaments initially performed doo-wop ...

, " Band Of Gold" ( Freda Payne), " Give Me Just a Little More Time" ( The Chairmen of the Board), and blues musician

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

's " Boom Boom". After he found out about the Edwin Starr session, Gordy fined members of the Funk Brothers band for moonlighting for another label; Eddie Wingate, owner of the Ric-Tic and

Golden World Golden World Records was a record label owned by Eddie Wingate and Joanne Bratton (née Jackson, former wife of boxing champion Johnny Bratton). The recording studio was located in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The studio's national hits incl ...

labels, which released Starr's "Agent Double-O Soul", subsequently attended that year's Motown staff Christmas party and personally gave each of the fined session players double the amount of the fine in cash, on the spot. Gordy eventually bought out Wingate's label and his entire artist roster.

Dissolution

During the mid- to late-1960s, one-fifth of Motown records began using session musicians based in Los Angeles, usually covers and tributes of mainstream pop songs and showtunes. By 1970, Motown sessions were increasingly scheduled in Los Angeles instead of Detroit, including all of those for

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...

's hit recordings. Nevertheless, Motown producers such as

Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 – September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s. allmusic Biography/ref> He has been credited as one of the creators of the Moto ...

, Frank Wilson,

, and

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chi ...

steadfastly continued to record in Detroit. The Funk Brothers were dismissed in 1972, when

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record la ...

moved the entire Motown label to Los Angeles; a development some of the musicians discovered only from a notice on the studio door. A few members, including Jamerson, followed to the West Coast, but found the environment uncomfortable. For many of the L.A. recordings, members of The Wrecking Crew worked for Motown, including drummer

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of all ...

, percussionist Gary Coleman, bassist

Carol Kaye Carol Kaye (née Smith, born March 24, 1935) is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 50 years. Kaye began play ...

, guitarist Tommy Tedesco, and keyboardist

Larry Knechtel Lawrence William Knechtel (August 4, 1940 – August 20, 2009) was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles-based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon ...

Later years

In February 2004, surviving members of the Funk Brothers were presented the Grammy Legend Award at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards at the

Staples Center Crypto.com Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Downtown Los Angeles. Adjacent to the L.A. Live development, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along Figueroa Street. The arena opened on October 17, 1999; it ...

in L.A. In March 2006, some remaining Funk Brothers were invited to perform on Philadelphia writer-producer-singer Phil Hurtt's recording session at Studio A, Dearborn Heights, Detroit, where they contributed their performances to "The Soulful Tale of Two Cities" project. The double-album sleeve notes read: "Motown's legendary Funk Brothers and members of Philadelphia's world renowned

MFSB MFSB, officially standing for "Mother Father Sister Brother", was a pool of more than 30 studio musicians based at Philadelphia's Sigma Sound Studios. They worked closely with the production team of Gamble and Huff and producer/arranger Thom B ...

take you 'back in the day' with an album filled with classic Philly and Motown hits."

, Joe Hunter, Uriel Jones, and Eddie Willis performed alongside other notable Detroit session musicians, like

Ray Monette Ray Monette is an American musician born on May 7, 1946. He started his career as a session musician with Motown. He was also a songwriter and, in 1967 Detroit started a band called The Abstract Reality, who released a 45 rpm single "Love Burns Li ...

, Robert Jones, Spider Webb, and Treaty Womack. The musicians played on the Philly hits, giving their unique Detroit interpretations of the songs under the leadership of Phil Hurtt,

Bobby Eli Bobby Eli is an American musician, arranger, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. He is a founding member and lead guitarist of Philadelphia studio band MFSB. Overview A multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter and arranger, Eli ...

, Clay McMurray and Lamont Dozier. Many other ex-Motown and Detroit artists performed vocals on the session, including the Velvelettes,

Carolyn Crawford Carolyn Crawford is a Republican politician from Pass Christian, Mississippi, serving as a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 121st district. She was first elected in 2011, unseating Democratic incumbent Diane Peranich ...

Lamont Dozier Lamont Herbert Dozier (; June 16, 1941 – August 8, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He co-wrote and produced 14 US ''Billboard'' number-one hits and four number ones in the UK. Career Doz ...

, Bobby Taylor, Kim Weston, Freda Payne, and George Clinton. In 2008, Ashford and Riser played on Raphael Saadiq's album ''

The Way I See It ''The Way I See It'' is the third album by American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Raphael Saadiq. It was released on September 16, 2008, by Columbia Records – his first for the label. Prior to signing with Columbia, Saadiq had independ ...

'', recorded in the style of the Motown Sound. That same year, the Funk Brothers' surviving members recorded ''Live in Orlando'', an album and video. In 2010, surviving members of the Funk Brothers accompanied

Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...

on his Motown covers album, '' Going Back'', and appear in the live ''Going Back'' concert DVD. In 2010, the Funk Brothers were voted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame.

Awards and recognition

The Funk Brothers have received three

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

awards: * Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 * Best Traditional R&B Performance for " What's Going On" with Chaka Khan, 2002 * Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media for '' Standing in the Shadows of Motown'', 2002. Bassist James Jamerson was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...

in 2000, and drummer Benny Benjamin in 2003. In 2003, surviving members were invited to the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

to meet President George W. Bush, Secretary of State

Colin Powell Colin Luther Powell ( ; April 5, 1937 – October 18, 2021) was an American politician, statesman, diplomat, and United States Army officer who served as the 65th United States Secretary of State from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African ...

, and

National Security Advisor A national security advisor serves as the chief advisor to a national government on matters of security. The advisor is not usually a member of the government's cabinet but is usually a member of various military or security councils. National secu ...

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th ...

, in an event tied to

Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...

. In 2007, the Funk Brothers were inducted into the

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

. On March 21, 2013, the Funk Brothers were honored with a star on the

. In August 2014, the Funk Brothers were inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Hall Of Fame at the induction ceremony, which was held in Canton, Ohio that year.

Members

As discussed above, the name "The Funk Brothers" was a loosely applied designation. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognizes 13 musicians as official "Funk Brothers", but the name is often casually used as a catch-all designation to cover any musician who played on a Motown record. The following list covers the musicians most frequently used on Motown recordings from 1959 through 1972; it is not an exhaustive list of every musician ever used. The 13 Funk Brothers recognized as official band members by NARAS are marked with an asterisk. ''Membership lists based upon research by Allan Slutsky, with some minor corrections.''

Detroit musicians

*''Keyboardists:'' ** Joe Hunter (†2007) (band leader, 1959–1964)* **

(†1992) (band leader, 1964–1972)* ** Richard "Popcorn" Wylie (†2008) (1959–1962) **

(†1984) (1961–1962) ** Raynoma Liles "Miss Ray" Gordy (†2016) (1959–1962) **George Fowler (†2016) (1962–1969) ** Leonard Caston Jr. (1969–1972) ** H. B. Barnum (1963–1972) ** Johnny Griffith (†2002) (1963–1972)* **James Gittens (1959–1967) **Ted Sheely (1967–1972) *''Guitarists:'' ** Robert White (†1994) (1959–1972)* ** Eddie "Chank" Willis (†2018) (1959–1972)* **

(†2022) (1959–1972)* **Larry Veeder (1959–1962) ** Dave Hamilton (†1994)David Lewis Hamilton, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, ''Ancestry.com''
Retrieved 2 January 2022 (1959–1962) **Huey Davis (†2002) (1959–1967,

the Contours The Contours is one of the early American soul singing groups signed to Motown Records. The group is best known for its classic chart-topping 1962 hit, "Do You Love Me", which sold over 1 million copies and became a major hit again in 1988. His ...

' road and studio guitarist) ** Marvin Tarplin (†2011) (1959–1972,

the Miracles The Miracles (also known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group that was the first successful recording act for Berry Gordy's Motown Records, and one of the most important and most influential grou ...

' road and studio guitarist) ** Cornelius Grant (1963–1972,

the Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

' road guitarist and band leader) ** Dennis Coffey (1966–1972) ** Melvin "Wah Wah Watson" Ragin (†2018) (1968–1972) ** Ray Parker Jr. (1968–1972) **

** Paul Warren *''Bassists:'' **

(†1983) (1959–1972)* **Clarence Isabell (†2015) (1959–1962) **

(†2012) (1966–1972)* ** Greg Reeves (1966–1969,

' road bassist) **Edward Pickens (1968–1972) **Bill White (1969–1972, the Temptations' road bassist) **Tweed Beard **Joe Williams ** Michael Henderson (†2022) **Joe James ** Antonio "Tony" Newton (

' road bassist) *''Accordion:'' **John "Johnnie Miles" Milewski (1965–1970) *''Drums:'' ** William "Benny" Benjamin (†1969) (1959–1969)* ** Richard "Pistol" Allen (†2002) (1959–1972)* **George McGregor (†2015) (1959–1962) **Corey Jahns (1959–1967)

bongos Bongos ( es, bongó) are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. They are struck with both hands, most commonly in an eight-stroke pattern called ''martillo'' (hammer). The ...

**Clifford Mack (1959–1962) **

(†1984) (1961–1962) (also listed above) **

(†2009) (1963–1972)* ** Freddie Waits (†1989) (1963–1967) ** Melvin Brown (1967–1972,

' road drummer) **Andrew Smith (†2000) (1968–1972) ** Kenneth "Spider Webb" Rice (1968–1972) ** Aaron Smith (1970–1972) *''Percussion:'' ** Jack Ashford (1959–1972,

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called " zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thou ...

)* ** Eddie "Bongo" Brown (†1984) (1959–1972, various)* **

Bobbye Hall Bobbye Jean Hall is an American percussionist who has recorded with a variety of rock, soul, blues and jazz artists, and has appeared on 20 songs that reached the top ten in the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Early career, work for Motown and move to ...

(1963–1972, various) **Stacey Edwards (1967–1972,

' road percussionist) *''Vibes:'' ** Jack Ashford (1959–1972) (also listed above)* ** Dave Hamilton (†1994) (1959–1962) (also listed above) **James Gittens (1959–1967) (also listed above) ** Jack Brokensha (†2010) (1963–1972) *''Trumpets:'' **Herbie Williams **John "Little John" Wilson ** Marcus Belgrave (†2015) **Russell Conway **

Johnny Trudell Johnny Trudell (May 11, 1939 – May 29, 2021) was an American jazz and studio musician and composer whose instruments included trumpet, flugelhorn, valve trombone, and piano. Trudell was active in the Detroit music scene and participated in numero ...

(†2021) **Floyd Jones (†2013) **Maurice Davis (†2012) **Billy Horner **Gordon Stump **Don Slaughter **Eddie Jones *''Saxophones:'' ** Henry "Hank" Cosby (†2002) ** Andrew "Mike" Terry (†2008) **Norris "Kasuku Mafia" Patterson (†2010) **Thomas "Beans" Bowles (†2000)Thomas ‘Beans’ Bowles; Motown Musician
/ref> ** Ted Buckner (†1976) ** Walter "Choker" Campbell (†1993) **Frank Harvey Jackson **Ronnie Wakefield **"Lefty" Edwards (†1994) **Eli Fountain **Ernie Rodgers **Eugene "BeeBee" Moore ** William "Wild Bill" Moore (†1983) **Angelo Carlisi **Dan Turner **Bernie Peacock **Larry Nozero (†2005) **Lanny Austin *''Trombones:'' **McKinley Jackson **Bob Cousar (†2013) **

George Bohanon George Roland Bohanon, Jr. (born August 7, 1937) is a jazz trombonist and session musician from Detroit, Michigan. In the early 1960s, he participated in Detroit's Workshop Jazz ensemble, with Johnny Griffith, Paula Greer, David Hamilton, Lefty ...

**Jimmy Wilkens (†2018) **Don White **Carl Raetz **Patrick Lanier **Bill Johnson **Ed Gooch *''Flute:'' **Dayna Hartwick **Thomas "Beans" Bowles (†2000) *''Piccolo:'' **Dayna Hartwick *''Strings:'' ** Gordon Staples and the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is an American orchestra based in Detroit, Michigan. Its primary performance venue is Orchestra Hall at the Max M. Fisher Music Center in Detroit's Midtown neighborhood. Jader Bignamini is the current musi ...

string section ***''Violins'' ****Zinovi Bistritzky (†1973) ****Beatriz Budinsky ****Lillian Downs ****Virginia Halfmann (†2012) ****Richard Margitza ****Felix Resnick (†2008) ****Alvin Score (†2013) ****Linda Sneeden Smith ****James Waring (†2020) ***''Violas'' ****Nathan Gordon (†1998) ****David Ireland (†2006) ****Eduard Kesner (†2006) ****Anne Mischakoff ****Meyer Shapiro ***''Cellos'' ****Italo Babini ****Edward Korkigian (†2009) ****Thaddeus Markiewicz (†2000)Obituary for Thaddeus F. Markiewicz, 1915-2000
/ref> ****Marcy Schweickhardt

Los Angeles musicians

Los Angeles was an alternate recording center for Motown artists beginning in the mid-1960s, utilizing a different set of musicians. Hit tracks recorded in L.A. include

' " More Love", many of

Brenda Holloway Brenda Holloway (born June 26, 1946) is an American singer and songwriter, who was a recording artist for Motown Records during the 1960s. Her best-known recordings are the soul hits, " Every Little Bit Hurts", " When I'm Gone", and " You've Ma ...

's songs, and all the early hits of

. Many of the Los Angeles players were members of the Wrecking Crew, a loose-knit group of studio musicians.

Arrangers and conductors

*''Detroit:''

, Willie Shorter, David Van De Pitte, Wade Marcus, Johnny Allen,

Gil Askey Gilbert Askey (March 9, 1925 – April 9, 2014) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, producer and musical director who was born in Austin, Texas, and emigrated to Australia in 1988. Personal life Askey was born in Austin, Texas, on March 9 ...

, Ernie Wilkins, Jerry Long, Henry "Hank" Cosby,

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelho ...

, and H. B. Barnum *''Los Angeles:''

Gene Page Eugene Edgar Page Jr. (September 13, 1939 – August 24, 1998) was an American conductor, composer, arranger and record producer, most active from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s. His sound can be heard in the arrangements he did for Jeffe ...

, James Carmichael, Arthur Wright, Michael Lovesmith

Selected list of hit songs on which the Funk Brothers played

;(Tamla) Motown *"

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money ar ...

" – Barrett Strong *"

Please Mr. Postman "Please Mr. Postman" is a song written by Georgia Dobbins, William Garrett, Freddie Gorman, Brian Holland and Robert Bateman. It is the debut single by the Marvelettes for the Tamla (Motown) label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the ...

" – The Marvelettes *" Fingertips Pt. 2" – Stevie Wonder *" The Girl's Alright with Me" - The Temptations *" My Guy" – Mary Wells *" Come and Get These Memories - Martha and the Vandellas *" Where Did Our Love Go" – The Supremes *" Baby I Need Your Loving" - The Four Tops *" Baby Love" – The Supremes *" Come See About Me" – The Supremes *" My Girl" – The Temptations *"

Stop! In the Name of Love "Stop! In the Name of Love" is a 1965 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Stop! In the Name of Love" held the #1 position on the ''Billboard'' ...

" – The Supremes *"

Back in My Arms Again "Back in My Arms Again" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Back in My Arms Again" was the fifth consecutive and overall number-one so ...

" – The Supremes *" I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" – The Four Tops *" I Hear a Symphony" – The Supremes *" Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart" - The Supremes *" You Can't Hurry Love" – The Supremes *" Reach Out I'll Be There" – The Four Tops *" You Keep Me Hangin' On" – The Supremes *" Forever Came Today" – The Supremes *" Love Child" – Diana Ross and the Supremes *"

" – Marvin Gaye *"

I Can't Get Next to You "I Can't Get Next to You" is a 1969 No. 1 single recorded by the Temptations and written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Gordy (Motown) label. The song was a No. 1 single on the ''Billboard'' Top Pop Singles chart for two wee ...

" – The Temptations *" Someday We'll Be Together" – Diana Ross and the Supremes *"

" – Diana Ross *" The Tears of a Clown" – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles *"

Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" is a song by American soul group The Temptations, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Released on the Gordy ( Motown) label, and produced by Norman Whitfield, it features on the group' ...

" – The Temptations *" Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" – The Temptations *"

Let's Get It On ''Let's Get It On'' is the thirteenth studio album by American soul music, soul singer, songwriter, and producer Marvin Gaye. It was released on August 28, 1973, by the Motown subsidiary label Tamla Records on LP record, LP. Recording sessions ...

" – Marvin Gaye *" You Sure Love to Ball" - Marvin Gaye *"

Come Get to This "Come Get to This" is a song written and recorded by American recording artist Marvin Gaye. It was released as the second single off Gaye's album, ''Let's Get It On'' following the success of the title track. Recording sessions for the song first ...

" - Marvin Gaye *" Just a Little Misunderstanding" – The Contours *" Shop Around" – The Miracles *"

Shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub- p ...

" – Junior Walker & the All Stars *" How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" – Marvin Gaye *" The One Who Really Loves You" – Mary Wells *" The Way You Do the Things You Do" – The Temptations *" Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" – Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell *"

(I'm a) Road Runner "(I'm a) Road Runner" is a hit song by Junior Walker, Junior Walker & the Allstars, and was the title track of the successful 1966 album ''Road Runner (Junior Walker album), Road Runner''. Written by the team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, it was ...

" – Junior Walker & the All Stars *"

Ain't Too Proud to Beg "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is a 1966 song and hit single by The Temptations for Motown Records' Gordy label, produced by Norman Whitfield and written by Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Chart, an ...

" – The Temptations *" I Wish It Would Rain" – The Temptations *" The Happening" - The Supremes *" Reflections" – Diana Ross & the Supremes *" That's the Way Love Is" - Marvin Gaye *"

" – Martha & the Vandellas *"

Hitch Hike Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads have ...

" – Marvin Gaye *" Way Over There" – The Miracles *"

Who's Lovin' You "Who's Lovin' You" is a Motown soul song, written in 1960 by William "Smokey" Robinson. The song has been recorded by many different artists including The Miracles, who recorded the 1960 original version, The Temptations, The Supremes, Te ...

" – The Jackson 5 *" What's So Good About Goodbye" – The Miracles *"

I Was Made to Love Her "I Was Made to Love Her" is a soul music song recorded by American musician Stevie Wonder for Motown's Tamla label in 1967. The song was written by Wonder, his mother Lula Mae Hardaway, Sylvia Moy, and producer Henry Cosby and included on Wond ...

" – Stevie Wonder *" It's the Same Old Song" – The Four Tops *" You've Really Got a Hold on Me" – The Miracles *" Standing in the Shadows of Love" – The Four Tops *" If I Were Your Woman" – Gladys Knight & the Pips *" I'm Livin' in Shame - The Supremes *" Going to a Go-Go" – The Miracles *"Heaven Must Have Sent You" – The Elgins *"

Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 10 ...

" – Martha & the Vandellas *" Runaway Child, Running Wild" - The Temptations *"

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" is the second single from Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, '' What's Going On''. Following the breakthrough of the title track's success, the song, written solely by Gaye, became regarded as one of popular music's most poi ...

" – Marvin Gaye *" All I Need" - The Temptations *"

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", often shortened to "Inner City Blues", is a song by Marvin Gaye, released as the third and final single, and the climactic song from his 1971 landmark album, '' What's Going On''. Written by Gaye and Ja ...

" – Marvin Gaye *"

Cloud Nine Cloud Nine, cloud 9 or cloud nine is a name colloquially given to the state of euphoria, and may refer to: Books and comics * Cloud 9 (comics), a Marvel Comics superhero that debuted in ''Avengers: The Initiative'' * ''Cloud Nine'' (novel), a 19 ...

" – The Temptations *" What's Goin' On" – Marvin Gaye *"

Do You Love Me "Do You Love Me" is a rhythm and blues song recorded by the Contours in 1962. Written and produced by Motown Records owner Berry Gordy Jr., it appeared twice on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, reaching numbers three in 1962 and eleven in 1 ...

" – The Contours *" Get Ready" – The Temptations *"Function at the Junction" – Shorty Long *" My World Is Empty Without You" – The Supremes *"

The Tracks of My Tears "The Tracks of My Tears" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, Pete Moore, and Marv Tarplin. It is a multiple award-winning 1965 hit R&B song originally recorded by their group, The Miracles, on Motown's Tamla label. The Miracles' million-sel ...

" – The Miracles *" Can I Get a Witness" – Marvin Gaye *"

Nowhere to Run Nowhere to Run may refer to: Film and television * ''Nowhere to Run'' (1989 film), an American film directed by Carl Franklin * ''Nowhere to Run'' (1993 film), an American action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme * ''Nowhere to Run'' (1978 f ...

" – Martha & the Vandellas *"Here Comes the Judge" – Shorty Long *" Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" – Stevie Wonder *" Beechwood 4-5789" – The Marvelettes *" Bernadette" – The Four Tops *"Two Lovers" – Mary Wells *" What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" – Jimmy Ruffin *" My Cherie Amour" – Stevie Wonder *" I Second That Emotion" – Smokey Robinson & the Miracles *"

(I Know) I'm Losing You "(I Know) I'm Losing You" is a 1966 hit single recorded by the Temptations for the Gordy ( Motown) label, written by Cornelius Grant, Eddie Holland and Norman Whitfield, and produced by Norman Whitfield. The group performed the song liv ...

" – The Temptations *"First I Look at the Purse" – The Contours *"

Ooo Baby Baby "Ooo Baby Baby" is a song written by Smokey Robinson and Pete Moore. It is a classic 1965 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. The song has inspired numerous other cover versions by other artists over the years, including c ...

" – The Miracles *"

25 Miles 5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number. It has attained significance throughout history in part because typical humans have five digits on eac ...

" – Edwin Starr *" I'll Be Doggone" – Marvin Gaye *" Pride and Joy" – Marvin Gaye *" Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" – The Temptations *" It Takes Two" – Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston *" This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)" – The Isley Brothers *" Uptight" – Stevie Wonder *"Devil with a Blue Dress On" – Shorty Long *" Jimmy Mack" – Martha & the Vandellas *"Since I Lost My Baby" – The Temptations *" War" – Edwin Starr *" Stubborn Kind of Fellow" – Marvin Gaye *" Don't Mess with Bill" – The Marvelettes *" You Beat Me to the Punch" – Mary Wells *" Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" – The Four Tops *" Walk Away Renée" – The Four Tops *" Mickey's Monkey" – The Miracles *" Ain't That Peculiar" – Marvin Gaye *" Shoo-Be-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day" – Stevie Wonder ;Other labels *"

" – The Capitols (Atlantic) *" Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" – Jackie Wilson (Brunswick) *" (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" – Jackie Wilson (Brunswick) *" Bad Girl" – The Miracles (Chess) *" Band of Gold" – Freda Payne (Invictus) *"Crumbs off the Table" – Glass House (Invictus) *" Give Me Just a Little More Time" – Chairmen of the Board (Invictus) *"Someone's Been Sleeping in My Bed" – 100 Proof (Aged in Soul) (Hot Wax) *" Boom Boom" – John Lee Hooker (Vee-Jay)

References

External links

"Standing in the Shadows of Motown WebQuest"Grammy Lifetime Achievement awards
* *
The Soulful Tale of Two CitiesCarl Dixon's Bandtraxs projectSoulful Detroit Home pageMotown Museum
*
McKinley Jackson Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2020)
Dennis Coffrey Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2021) {{DEFAULTSORT:Funk Brothers, The American session musicians Grammy Award winners Motown artists Musical collectives American soul musical groups Musical groups from Detroit Musical groups established in 1959 Musical groups disestablished in 1972 1959 establishments in Michigan 1972 disestablishments in Michigan