Bernard Odum
Bernard Odum | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Bertrand Odom |
| Born | June 10, 1932 Greenville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | August 17, 2004 (aged 72) Mobile, Alabama, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, funk |
| Occupation(s) | Bassist |
| Instruments | Bass |
| Associated acts | James Brown Maceo & All the King's Men |
Bernard Odum (June 10, 1932 – August 17, 2004),[1] born Bertrand Odom,[2][3] was an American bass guitar player best known for performing in James Brown's band in the 1960s.
Biography[]
Odum started playing with Brown in 1956 and became a full-time member of Brown's band in 1958. He worked in the James Brown band until the end of the 1960s, and played on such hits as "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" (1965), "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965), and "Cold Sweat" (1967).[4]
In 1969, Odum and most of the other musicians in Brown's band walked out on him over a pay dispute and other issues, prompting Brown to create a new backing band, The J.B.'s. In 1970, Odum briefly joined Maceo Parker's group, Maceo & All the King's Men, appearing on the album Doin' Their Own Thing.
Bernard Odum played a 1956 Fender Precision Bass, strung with flatwound strings, throughout most of his career. He also played a Vox "teardrop" bass as well as a 120 watt Westminster 1x18 bass combo amp when Brown and his band gained an endorsement from Vox towards the end of 1965.[4]
Odum died of kidney failure at the age of 72 in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama.[4]
References[]
- ^ "Bernard Odum". AllMusic. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ "Bertrand Odom Obituary (2004)". The Press-Register. 2004-08-23. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ "Rants and Raves: "Killer bees" now buzzing in Alabama". The Montgomery Advisor. 2004-08-28. p. 5A.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "James Brown's Bassists Archived 2010-04-17 at the Wayback Machine". March 2005. Bass Player. Retrieved on June 17, 2008.
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- 1932 births
- 2004 deaths
- American funk bass guitarists
- American male bass guitarists
- American rhythm and blues bass guitarists
- Deaths from kidney failure
- James Brown Orchestra members
- Musicians from Mobile, Alabama
- Guitarists from Alabama
- American male guitarists
- 20th-century American guitarists
- 20th-century bass guitarists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American bass guitarist stubs