Donald Dunn Quotes

Whoever best serves the song is going to be served by the song.

What I used to play was rhythm guitar before I saw Jack Bruce. I said, That's what I want to do in life. He was definitely the main influence.

Peter Baltes was the best bassist I ever played with.

When I heard BB King's 'Sweet Sixteen,' I knew I wanted to play bass because that was the thing that made that record: the bass player.

Conway Twitty was always our local hero while I was growing up. He had a series of good bands. I wanted to sit in, if Conway would let me. And he did a couple of times.

Jack Bruce, as soon as I saw him, it changed me. I didn't even know what bass players did until I saw Cream.

I really liked Stevie Ray Vaughn, so hey - I tried to look like him.

Billy Sheehan has always been my number one favorite bass player of all time.

I wanted to go to Berklee College of Music because that's where Steve Vai went - I was total tunnel vision.

Everything I hear influences me. I can't tell you all my influences as a musician.

I know I idolise someone like Billie Holiday, but I don't look at her and think I have to imitate her lifestyle, to try and sing like she did.

We all grew up idolizing another musician. That's how this works. That's how music is created.

The Beatles never sounded intimidated by their idols. They never interpreted old rock; they simply played it as well and as joyfully as they knew how. On 'Rock 'n' Roll,' John Lennon does nothing but interpret old rock.

I always got great respect as a bass player.

Chick Corea was a great influence on me, musically, as I was growing up.

I can't stress too much how much Ry Cooder was an influence on me. Having one of the most respected musicians around like my singing really gave me the confidence to do it.

I was reading an article about Kings of Leon's bass player, who said that he was directly influenced by Joy Division and by me. I was like, 'Woah!' It surprised me. It's a great compliment.

I watch Renee Fleming a lot. I listen to Renee Fleming a lot. She was like my built-in master class.

I never play as well without these guys; the best I have ever been creatively has been with Pearl Jam.

I've been ripping the Rolling Stones off with every song I write in some form or another.

As far as k. d. lang is concerned, she grew up devouring my music. She sent me a song when she was 8 years old, and she says I never wrote back.

I used to aspire to being more of a traditional bass player, to be honest. People say I play it like a guitar - and I was a guitar player when I was growing up. I started learning when I was eight, and that's what I was fascinated with in my teen years.

I'm a bass player and I'm a drummer - I'm a big fan of bass players.

My major influences were primarily guitar players and bands; I started playing bass by accident.

If there was a direct influence on a song, I never hid it.