Willie Weeks

Willie Weeks (born August 5, 1947) is an American bass guitarist.

He has gained fame performing with famous musicians in a wide variety of genres.

He has been one of the most in-demand session musicians throughout his career.

Weeks has also gained fame touring with many of rock's heavyweights throughout his career.

Weeks was born in Salemburg, North Carolina and began playing the electric bass in the early 1960s.

His earliest influences were the country, pop and R&B music he heard on the radio.

Weeks counts bassists Ron Carter, James Jamerson, and Ray Brown as early influences.

Weeks has worked in the studio or toured with a wide range of artists, including:

Gregg Allman, David Bowie, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Roy Buchanan, Jimmy Buffett, Kevin Chalfant, Eric Clapton, Hank Crawford, Robert Cray, Pino Daniele, Bo Diddley, The Doobie Brothers, Lou Fellingham, Aretha Franklin, Vince Gill, Buddy Guy, Isaac Hayes, George Harrison, Donny Hathaway, Etta James, Billy Joel, Rickie Lee Jones, Wynonna Judd, Chaka Khan, B.B. King, Lyle Lovett, Gail Davies, David Lee Roth, Michael McDonald, Don McLean, John Mayer, John Mellencamp, Bette Midler, Randy Newman, Pino Palladino, Leon Russell, Boz Scaggs, John Scofield, Carly Simon, Soulive, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Richard and Linda Thompson, Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Wood and Eikichi Yazawa.

He also played bass guitar for Michael's Mystics back in the 1960s in Minnesota, with Lordan again on drums.

That band recorded "Pain" by the Grassroots, a big hit locally for the Mystics.

He played a 1962 Fender P-Bass through an Ampeg SVT amplifier on the recording (though it had initially been reported that he played through an Ampeg B-15).

In addition to his red 1962 Fender Precision bass, Weeks uses a maple-neck 1958 Precision bass and a 1964 Fender Jazz Bass, as well as a tobacco sunburst Kay four-string acoustic bass for Clapton's "unplugged repertoire".

Weeks used a sunburst 1963 P-Bass during Clapton's 2008 European Summer tour.

His playing on Donny Hathaway's Live (1972), including a 3½ minute bass solo on "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", which is regarded by many bass players as some of Weeks' best work.

Weeks' contributions to the Hathaway album impressed many English rock musicians, leading to his work with Ronnie Wood, The Rolling Stones ("It's Only Rock & Roll"), George Harrison and David Bowie from 1974 onwards.

In a press conference for his 1974 North American tour, Harrison cited Weeks' musicianship when dismissing the likelihood of a Beatles reunion, saying he would "rather have Willie Weeks on bass than Paul McCartney".

Weeks played with Ask Rufus, the precursor band to Rufus with Chaka Khan.

He appeared on their recording of Al Kooper's song "Brand New Day".

Weeks also played with the Fabulous Amazers and Bill Lordan (pre Robin Trower drummer) in the Minnesota group Gypsy.

Weeks appeared in the films Blues Brothers 2000 (in a fictional supergroup along with other musicians he's worked with) and Lightning in a Bottle.

With Gypsy

With Donny Hathaway

With Herbie Mann

With Stevie Wonder

With Gloria Jones

With Splinter

With Aretha Franklin

With Randy Newman

With Ronnie Wood

With Rod Stewart

With George Harrison

With Don McLean

With David Bowie

With James Taylor

With Carly Simon

He also played bass at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival on July 28, 2007 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.

On the 2009 Australasian and British tours, Weeks played Fender, Kay and Alleva Coppolo basses.

In 2014 he began using his "WW" Willie Weeks signature bass by Bee Basses.

In 2017, Weeks used a custom-made Alien Audio bass made by Charles "Chopper" Anderson in Nashville.