From this morning's RAMP Newsletter...
Legendary bass player Donald "Duck" Dunn, a longtime member of Booker T. & The MGs and a key ingredient in the Stax/Volt sound emanating from his hometown of Memphis, has died at the age of 70. According to people.com, Dunn's son Jeff told CNN that his father died in his sleep in Tokyo after performing some makeup shows that had been postponed after last year's earthquake and tsunami. "They were over there doing five shows in a row, two shows every night -- and for a 70-year-old guy, that was quite a bit of work," Jeff Dunn said. During his illustrious career, Dunn, with his trademark pipe clenched between his teeth, played on such classics as Otis Redding's "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay," Wilson Pickett's "In the Midnight Hour" and Sam & Dave's "Soul Man." In the late '70s, Dunn, along with fellow MGs member Steve Cropper, also played with The Blues Brothers Band featuring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. "Duck Dunn was the backbone of the Stax/Volt era," Aykroyd said in a statement. "He was and will remain universally loved by all that knew him. His talent, knowledge, warmth and especially his humor will be greatly missed."
