Dee Murray
Dee Murray | |
---|---|
Murray in 1971 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | David Murray Oates |
Born | (1946-04-03)3 April 1946 Gillingham, Kent, England |
Died | 15 January 1992(1992-01-15) (aged 45) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | Rock |
Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, vocals |
Years active | 1960s–1992 |
David Murray Oates (3 April 1946 – 15 January 1992),[1] known as Dee Murray, was an English bass guitarist. He was best known for his long-time collaboration with Elton John as a member of the Elton John Band.
Biography
Murray was born in Gillingham, Kent, England on 3 April 1946.[1] Before joining Elton John as his touring sidemen, Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson were members of the Spencer Davis Group in 1969.[2] In Murray's musician bio in the programme book for 1982's "Jump Up!" tour, Murray recalled when he first took up the bass guitar during his high school years: "Someone put this heavy thing over my shoulder and said, 'Here, you play this!'" Murray quickly established a solid reputation on the instrument. In the Classic Albums documentary on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, producer Gus Dudgeon lauded Murray's musical ability and said he "hadn't heard a bassist quite as good as him".[3]
Murray and Olsson joined John as his road sidemen in 1970, and first appeared together on disc with John on "Amoreena" from the 1970 studio album Tumbleweed Connection. The following year, they were featured on the live album 17-11-70. While they were John's constant touring bandmates, his record company initially only allowed them to play on just one track per studio album. This changed with Honky Château in 1972 when John exerted some of his skyrocketing popularity at the time to convince DJM Records to allow Murray and Olsson to also become full-time recording members of his band. Along with new recruit Davey Johnstone on guitar, Murray and Olsson played on John's hit albums, including the milestone album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, singles, and world tours for several years. In 1975, after recording Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Murray and Olsson were released from the band because John wanted to achieve a different sound.[4]
Murray and Olsson continued working together as session musicians in Los Angeles. In 1976 they played on Rick Springfield's fourth album Wait for Night. In 1977, Murray briefly joined Procol Harum on a North America tour promoting their last 1970s album, Something Magic, although he never recorded with the group. Between 1978 and 1979, Murray worked as part of Alice Cooper's backing band.[1] According to music site AllMusic.com, he played on Cooper's hit album From the Inside, and joined Olsson backing The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir on his solo album Heaven Help the Fool in 1978. Other artists he worked with during the 1970s and early 1980s include Yvonne Elliman, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Shaun Cassidy, Allan Clarke, Bernie Taupin, Kiki Dee, Stefanie Gaines, Barbi Benton, and Jimmy Webb.
Murray and Olsson returned to tour and play sessions with John, starting with 21 at 33 in 1980. He and Olsson backed John during his landmark concert in New York City's Central Park before more than 400,000 fans on the Great Lawn on 13 September 1980, and appeared on The Fox in 1981. Murray went on to contribute all the bass tracks on Jump Up! in 1982 and joined Olsson and guitarist Davey Johnstone for the Jump Up! Tour, followed by albums and tours for Too Low for Zero (1983) and Breaking Hearts (1984). The group then disbanded, reuniting once more to record backing vocals on Reg Strikes Back in 1988.
In the 1980s, Murray played on numerous Nashville sessions for artists such as Michael Brown, Lewis Storey, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and John Prine, amongst others.
Death
Battling skin cancer for a number of years, Murray died in 1992 at the age of 45, in Nashville, Tennessee, after suffering a stroke.[1] According to Murray's obituary,[5] that March, John performed two tribute concerts at the Grand Ole Opry to raise money to support Murray's family. In a 2011 interview, Olsson, who in 2004 rejoined John as a full-time band member to record Peachtree Road, reflected upon the absence of his longtime bandmate: "I think about him every single day. Brilliant bass player. Wonderful guy. Dear, dear, dear friend. A musical genius across the board."[4]
Davey Johnstone believes Murray's musical skills were not fully appreciated, and in March 2011, said he was working on a documentary about Murray.[6]
Collaborations
With Elton John
- Tumbleweed Connection (Uni Records, 1970)
- Madman Across the Water (Uni Records, 1971)
- Honky Château (Uni Records, 1972)
- Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player (MCA Records, 1972)
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (MCA Records, 1973)
- Caribou (MCA Records, 1974)
- Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (MCA Records, 1975)
- 21 at 33 (Rocket, 1980)
- The Fox (Geffen, 1981)
- Jump Up! (Geffen, 1982)
- Too Low for Zero (Geffen, 1983)
- Breaking Hearts (Geffen, 1984)
- Reg Strikes Back (MCA, 1988)
With Beth Nielsen Chapman
- Beth Nielsen Chapman (Reprise Records, 1990)
With Jimmy Webb
- Land's End (Asylum Records, 1974)
- El Mirage (Atlantic Records, 1977)
With John Prine
- Aimless Love (Oh Boy Records, 1984)
With Yvonne Elliman
- Night Flight (RSO Records, 1978)
With Ronnie Hawkins
- The Hawk (United Artists Records, 1979)
With Shaun Cassidy
- Born Late (Curb Records, 1977)
- Under Wraps (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)
With Bernie Taupin
- He Who Rides the Tiger (Elektra Records, 1980)
With Brian Cadd
- White on White (Capitol Records, 1976)
With England Dan & John Ford Coley
- Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive (Big Tree Records, 1979)
References
- ^ a b c d Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1992 – 1993". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 189. CN 5585.
- ^ Classic Albums: Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (2001) at IMDb
- ^ a b "Exclusive interview: Nigel Olsson - my career with Elton John". 11 April 2011.
- ^ "Obituary : Dee Murray". Procolharum.com. 15 January 1992. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
- ^ Joe Bosso (4 April 2011). "Exclusive interview: Davey Johnstone – my career with Elton John | Guitar News". MusicRadar. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
External links
- Fan website
- Dee Murray discography at Discogs
- Obituary on APNews.com
- v
- t
- e
- Empty Sky
- Elton John
- Tumbleweed Connection
- Madman Across the Water
- Honky Château
- Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- Caribou
- Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
- Rock of the Westies
- Blue Moves
- A Single Man
- Victim of Love
- 21 at 33
- The Fox
- Jump Up!
- Too Low for Zero
- Breaking Hearts
- Ice on Fire
- Leather Jackets
- Reg Strikes Back
- Sleeping with the Past
- The One
- Duets
- Made in England
- The Big Picture
- Songs from the West Coast
- Peachtree Road
- The Captain & the Kid
- The Diving Board
- Wonderful Crazy Night
- Regimental Sgt. Zippo
- The Lockdown Sessions
- Friends
- The Lion King (1994)
- Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida
- The Muse
- The Road to El Dorado
- Gnomeo & Juliet
- Rocketman
- The Lion King (2019)
- Greatest Hits
- Greatest Hits Volume II
- The Thom Bell Sessions
- Lady Samantha
- Greatest Hits Vol. 3
- The Complete Thom Bell Sessions
- To Be Continued
- The Very Best of Elton John
- Rare Masters
- Greatest Hits 1976–1986
- Chartbusters Go Pop
- Classic Elton John
- Love Songs
- Prologue
- Greatest Hits 1970–2002
- Elton John's Christmas Party
- Rocket Man: The Definitive Hits
- Diamonds
- Elton: Jewel Box
- "I've Been Loving You"
- The Thom Bell Sessions
- Remixed
- Two Rooms: Celebrating the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin
- The Union
- Good Morning to the Night
- Revamp & Restoration
- 1970 World Tour
- Rock of the Westies Tour
- Louder Than Concorde Tour
- 1979 tour of the Soviet Union
- 1980 World Tour
- Jump Up Tour
- Too Low for Zero Tour
- European Express Tour
- Breaking Hearts Tour
- Ice on Fire Tour
- Tour De Force
- Sleeping with the Past Tour
- The One Tour
- Face to Face 1994
- Face to Face 1995
- Made in England Tour
- Face to Face 1998
- An Evening with Elton John
- Medusa Tour
- Stately Home Tour
- Face to Face 2001
- Songs from the West Coast Tour
- Face to Face 2002
- A Journey Through Time
- 2003 Tour
- Face to Face 2003
- 2004 Tour
- Peachtree Road Tour
- 2006 European Tour
- The Captain and the Kid Tour
- Rocket Man: Greatest Hits Live
- Face to Face 2009
- Face to Face 2010
- 2010 European Tour
- Greatest Hits Tour
- 40th Anniversary of the Rocket Man
- The Diving Board Tour
- Follow the Yellow Brick Road Tour
- All the Hits Tour
- The Final Curtain Tour
- Wonderful Crazy Night Tour
- Farewell Yellow Brick Road
performances
- The Lion King
- 1994 film
- 2019 film
- 1997 musical
- The Road to El Dorado
- Aida
- Billy Elliot the Musical
- Lestat
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Tammy Faye
- Bernie Taupin
- Elton John Band
- Gus Dudgeon
- Paul Buckmaster
- John Reid
- Ray Williams
- Dick James
- DJM Records
- David Furnish
- Kiki Dee
- Elton John AIDS Foundation
- Watford F.C.
- Bluesology
- Hookfoot
- Woodside, Old Windsor
- Rocket Pictures
- Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras
- Elton John: Me, Myself & I
- The Union
- Elton John: The Classic Years
- Rocketman (film)
- Me
- Elton John: Never Too Late
- Category