(September 13, 2021) Tonight we say a sad goodbye to bass player supreme, Melvin Dunlap, who was part of many of the greatest R&B and funk songs of the 1970s, from “Express Yourself” to “Lean On Me.”
A Cleveland, Ohio native, Dunlap first toured with his fellow Ohioans, The O’Jays. That led him to California, where he joined the legendary Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, topping the charts with the funk classic, “Express Yourself,” among other group hits.
Dunlap then teamed Bill Withers, playing on many of that star’s biggest hits, including “Lean On Me” and “Use Me,” where his bass work shone. Dunlap was a monster musician on his preferred Fender Precision and Fender Telecaster basses.
Dunlap also recorded on his own, issuing the albums Holistic Funk Music for the Millenium Highway in 2009 and The World of Holistic Funk in 2012.
Melvin Dunlap was an all-time great who definitely left his mark on some of the greatest R&B ever. May he rest in peace.
By Chris Rizik