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.

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, Jimmy Buffett, Kevin Chalfant, Eric Clapton, Hank Crawford, Bo Diddley, The Doobie Brothers, Lou Fellingham, Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, George Harrison, Donny Hathaway, Etta James, Billy Joel, Chaka Khan, B.B. King, Neil Larsen, Lyle Lovett, Gail Davies, David Lee Roth, Michael McDonald, Don McLean, John Mayer, Bette Midler, Randy Newman, Pino Palladino, John Scofield, Carly Simon, Soulive, Rod Stewart, The Rolling Stones, James Taylor, Joe Walsh, Steve Winwood, Bobby Womack, Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Wood and Eikichi Yazawa. 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. 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). 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. 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 also played bass at Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival on July 28, 2007 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Equipment

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. In 2014 he began using his "WW" Willie Weeks signature bass by Bee Basses. On the 2009 Australasian and British tours, Weeks played Fender, Kay and Alleva Coppolo basses. In 2017, Weeks used a custom-made Alien Audio bass made by Charles "Chopper" Anderson in Nashville. 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.

Discography

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 With David Cassidy With Terry Garthwaite With Kenny Vance With Al Jarreau With Richie Havens With Dianne Brooks With The Miracles With Maria Muldaur With David Batteau With Steve Winwood With Gregg Allman Band With Cher and Gregg Allman With Lenny Williams With Dan Fogelberg With Joe Walsh With Rickie Lee Jones With Bette Midler With The Whispers With Adam Mitchell With Chaka Khan With Stephen Bishop With Michael McDonald With Bill LaBounty With John Mellencamp With Patrick Simmons With Rosanne Cash With Jimmy Buffett With William Lee Golden With Webb Wilder With Etta James With Vince Gill With Kenny Rogers With Marty Balin With Ronna Reeves With Joan Baez With Wynonna Judd With John Michael Montgomery With Tracy Lawrence With Billy Burnette With Chris Norman With Rodney Crowell With Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown With Peter Cetera With Janis Ian With Tanya Tucker With Mac Gayden With Russ Taff With Lisa Brokop With Dan Hill With Lari White With Anita Cochran With Mark Nesler With Tara Lyn Hart With Sonya Isaacs With Robert Cray With Gov't Mule With The Tractors With Hal Ketchum With Alicia Keys With Keb' Mo' With Amy Grant With J. J. Cale and Eric Clapton With John Mayer With Eric Clapton With LeAnn Rimes With Boz Scaggs With Leon Russell With John Oates With Colin James With Mark Ronson With Cyndi Lauper With Elizabeth Cook With Ronnie Baker Brooks With Gloria Gaynor With Wendy Moten With Cravity