Paul Justman, director of the acclaimed 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown as well as classic MTV-era music videos including the J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and Diana Ross’ “Muscles,” has died at his home in the Hollywood Hills. He was 74.
His March 7 death was announced by his brother, the J. Geils keyboard player Seth Justman, to The New York Times for an obituary today.
Named Best Non-Fiction Film of 2002 by the New York Film Critics, among other awards including two Grammys, Standing in the Shadows of Motown chronicled the story of the Funk Brothers, the legendary, if at the time largely unknown, studio musicians who played on numerous Motown hits. The film gave long overdue credit to musicians Jamerson, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt, Joe Hunter, Uriel Jones, Joe Messina, Eddie Willis, Richard “Pistol” Allen, Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin, Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Johnny Griffith, Earl Van Dyke and Robert White,...
His March 7 death was announced by his brother, the J. Geils keyboard player Seth Justman, to The New York Times for an obituary today.
Named Best Non-Fiction Film of 2002 by the New York Film Critics, among other awards including two Grammys, Standing in the Shadows of Motown chronicled the story of the Funk Brothers, the legendary, if at the time largely unknown, studio musicians who played on numerous Motown hits. The film gave long overdue credit to musicians Jamerson, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt, Joe Hunter, Uriel Jones, Joe Messina, Eddie Willis, Richard “Pistol” Allen, Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin, Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Johnny Griffith, Earl Van Dyke and Robert White,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Eddie Willis, guitarist and original member of the famed Motown Records house band the Funk Brothers, died Monday near his hometown of Grenada, Mississippi. Willis was 82.
Willis’ daughter Terez Willis told the Detroit Free Press that her father had been suffering from complications from his lifelong bout with polio, which he had since childhood and prevented Willis from touring more frequently during the prime of his career.
The guitarist, nicknamed “Chank,” joined the Motown house band in 1959, joining a group of session musicians that included guitarists Joe Messina, Robert White and Marv Tarplin,...
Willis’ daughter Terez Willis told the Detroit Free Press that her father had been suffering from complications from his lifelong bout with polio, which he had since childhood and prevented Willis from touring more frequently during the prime of his career.
The guitarist, nicknamed “Chank,” joined the Motown house band in 1959, joining a group of session musicians that included guitarists Joe Messina, Robert White and Marv Tarplin,...
- 8/21/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Detroit -- Prominent Motown studio musician and Funk Brothers member Bob Babbitt, whose bass playing pounded through the Temptations hit "Ball of Confusion" and Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)," has died. He was 74.
Babbitt died Monday of complications from brain cancer in Nashville, Tenn., where he had lived for many years, his manager David Spero said in a statement released by Universal Music, the label in which Babbitt contributed to numerous hit records.
Well-known for decades among musicians, Babbitt laid down bass lines on Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," along with "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, "Inner City Blues" by Marvin Gaye, and Edwin Starr's "War."
"Bob was a teddy bear of a guy," former Motown engineer Ed Wolfrum told the Detroit Free Press. "And he was an extraordinary musician – a player's player."
After leaving Motown, he recorded with Bette Midler,...
Babbitt died Monday of complications from brain cancer in Nashville, Tenn., where he had lived for many years, his manager David Spero said in a statement released by Universal Music, the label in which Babbitt contributed to numerous hit records.
Well-known for decades among musicians, Babbitt laid down bass lines on Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," along with "The Tears of a Clown" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, "Inner City Blues" by Marvin Gaye, and Edwin Starr's "War."
"Bob was a teddy bear of a guy," former Motown engineer Ed Wolfrum told the Detroit Free Press. "And he was an extraordinary musician – a player's player."
After leaving Motown, he recorded with Bette Midler,...
- 7/17/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Hanson just released the following news on their website today:
Hanson is proud to announce the first two legs of their North American tour in support of their highly anticipated fifth record, Shout It Out. The announcement of the tour follows a whirlwind week of excitement for the band’s debut single, “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” which was released to digital outlets Friday in conjunction with the premiere network television performance of the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, and the music video debut on Myspace, garnering praise from fans and critics alike including Perez Hilton, MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Absolute Punk and Salon. The video, featuring “Weird” Al Yankovic, was viewed over a million times in the first few days of release, and is still rising. The exuberant homage to classic film The Blues Brothers, recreates an iconic scene where the band’s soulful music incites over 300 people to dance in the street.
Hanson is proud to announce the first two legs of their North American tour in support of their highly anticipated fifth record, Shout It Out. The announcement of the tour follows a whirlwind week of excitement for the band’s debut single, “Thinking ‘Bout Somethin’” which was released to digital outlets Friday in conjunction with the premiere network television performance of the song on the Late Show with David Letterman, and the music video debut on Myspace, garnering praise from fans and critics alike including Perez Hilton, MTV, Entertainment Weekly, Absolute Punk and Salon. The video, featuring “Weird” Al Yankovic, was viewed over a million times in the first few days of release, and is still rising. The exuberant homage to classic film The Blues Brothers, recreates an iconic scene where the band’s soulful music incites over 300 people to dance in the street.
- 4/27/2010
- by Staff
- Hollywoodnews.com
Hanson is set to return with the new studio album .Shout It Out. arriving June 8th from the band.s own label, 3Cg. The album features the single .Thinking .Bout Somethin. . which will be released on April 27th. .Shout It Out. is the three -time Grammy-nominated band of brothers' fifth studio release. It is described as an infectious collection of finely crafted, R&B-flavored pop-rock. It is also described as a throwback to the music that inspired the band when they started out. Hanson recorded the album in a studio on a 2,000-acre pecan farm in El Paso, Texas. It was produced and written exclusively by Hanson and features special guests: Funk Brothers bassist Bob Babbitt - who played...
- 4/8/2010
- by Patrick Luce
- Monsters and Critics
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