Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,000 albums, and is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of recorded music.

Early life

Rainey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 17, 1940, and grew up in Youngstown. His parents were both amateur pianists. He learned viola, piano, and trumpet as a child and majored in brass instruments in college. He attended Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. Rainey began playing bass guitar in the military.

Career

After leaving the military, Rainey joined a local band. His first big professional gig was playing with Big Jay McNeely. He then joined up with Sil Austin to tour Canada and New York. In 1962, Rainey joined King Curtis and his All-Star band; in 1965, they opened for The Beatles' 1965 US tour. He joined Quincy Jones's big band in 1972. By the 1970s he had played with Jerome Richardson, Grady Tate, Mose Allison, Gato Barbieri, Gene Ammons, as well as with Eddie Vinson at the 1971 Montreux Festival, and on five albums of Steely Dan. Although much of his work was as a session player, Rainey recorded a solo album, The Chuck Rainey Coalition, in 1969. Other solo albums were Born Again (1982), Hangin' Out Right (1999), Sing & Dance (2001), and Interpretations of a Groove (2012). Rainey wrote the five-volume Complete Electric Bass Player instructional books, and filmed instructional videos. The early bass curriculum at Musicians Institute and the Dick Grove School of Music were created by Rainey. He also wrote columns for Bass Player magazine from 1990–1992. On November 5, 2011, Rainey had a stroke which paralyzed his left side. He spent four years receiving physical therapy and practicing meditation and Hatha yoga, and made a full recovery. In 2014, Rainey and drummer John Anthony Martinez cofounded Rhythm Intensive, which provides clinics, workshops, and master classes for aspiring rhythm section musicians. Rainey and Martinez also co-authored The Tune of Success: Unmask Your Genius. In an interview with Chris Jisi in April 2020, Rainey disclosed that he had retired as a bassist and turned his focus to writing his biography and working with Rhythm Intensive. A Rainey signature line of bass guitars are produced by Alvarez Guitars and Ken Smith Basses. Rainey received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music at a ceremony on May 7, 2022.

Discography

As leader

As guest

With Alessi Brothers With Louis Armstrong With Gato Barbieri With George Benson With Donald Byrd With David Castle With Ray Charles With Joe Cocker With Larry Coryell With The Crusaders With King Curtis With Delaney & Bonnie With Aretha Franklin With Gene Harris With Richard "Groove" Holmes With Bobbi Humphrey With Etta James With Quincy Jones With Ben E. King With Yusef Lateef With David "Fathead" Newman With The Rascals With Steely Dan With Sadao Watanabe With Ernie Wilkins With others