Dee Murray : Bass

Dee started his musical career in the band THE MIRAGE. It wouldn't take long before one of the great musicians in '68, SPENCER DAVIS, became interested in Dee´s talents. It was in this SPENCER DAVIS line-up that Dee began his collaboration with Nigel Olsson, who was the drummer at this time.

SPENCER DAVIS went on a US tour, before the group broke up in late '68. Dee continued to make a lot of studio recording sessions for other artists and this lead him to some sessions with EJ in early 1969.

In late 1970, EJ was forced by his record company to perform with a band for a promotional tour in the USA. EJ often used the band HOOKFOOT, but as they were busy doing a lot of concerts on their own, EJ then hired Dee on bass and Nigel Olsson on drums. Soon everybody would recognize Dee´s distinctive bass playing. On the album 11-17-70 you can hear that his bass parts fill out the role of a rhythm guitar (in fact there was no rhythm guitar on the record). Yet the album never sounds thin, even though it's only a basic trio at work here.

Apart from a few tracks on the albums, Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across The Water, Dee was not used in the studio sessions. He became a full member of the band starting with the album Honky Chateau . Dee gave EJ´s music distinctive bass lines that are still known today in such songs as Rocket Man, Salvation and The Bitch Is Back.

Dee was fired after the EJ album Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy. No one knew why. He achieved sucess as a popular session musician, playing with Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Joan Armatrading etc.

In 1980 he was asked to be a member of EJ´s new tour band, and he agreed gladly. Again he played with his old friend Nigel. He played with EJ until the end of 1984 when he was once again fired. He was very hurt by the firing, his old friend Nigel Olsson explained in several interviews.

From here the downfall started. Dee played with various country bands in the Nashville area. In 1992 he died from a stroke. He had also been suffering from skin cancer, which he was diagnosed 8 years before.

In late 1992 EJ held a memorial concert for Dee Murray . As EJ said, "I have never known how much I missed him, now that he´s gone!".

EJ´s current bass player, Bob Birch, explained that he was fascinated by Dee´s bass playing, and it should be reproduced very accurately, because it gives EJ´s music strength.

 

Long live Dee Murray, wherever he is!