Paul Justman, director of the acclaimed 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown as well as classic MTV-era music videos including the J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold” and Diana Ross’ “Muscles,” has died at his home in the Hollywood Hills. He was 74.
His March 7 death was announced by his brother, the J. Geils keyboard player Seth Justman, to The New York Times for an obituary today.
Named Best Non-Fiction Film of 2002 by the New York Film Critics, among other awards including two Grammys, Standing in the Shadows of Motown chronicled the story of the Funk Brothers, the legendary, if at the time largely unknown, studio musicians who played on numerous Motown hits. The film gave long overdue credit to musicians Jamerson, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt, Joe Hunter, Uriel Jones, Joe Messina, Eddie Willis, Richard “Pistol” Allen, Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin, Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Johnny Griffith, Earl Van Dyke and Robert White,...
His March 7 death was announced by his brother, the J. Geils keyboard player Seth Justman, to The New York Times for an obituary today.
Named Best Non-Fiction Film of 2002 by the New York Film Critics, among other awards including two Grammys, Standing in the Shadows of Motown chronicled the story of the Funk Brothers, the legendary, if at the time largely unknown, studio musicians who played on numerous Motown hits. The film gave long overdue credit to musicians Jamerson, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt, Joe Hunter, Uriel Jones, Joe Messina, Eddie Willis, Richard “Pistol” Allen, Benny “Papa Zita” Benjamin, Eddie “Bongo” Brown, Johnny Griffith, Earl Van Dyke and Robert White,...
- 7/3/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Eddie Willis, guitarist and original member of the famed Motown Records house band the Funk Brothers, died Monday near his hometown of Grenada, Mississippi. Willis was 82.
Willis’ daughter Terez Willis told the Detroit Free Press that her father had been suffering from complications from his lifelong bout with polio, which he had since childhood and prevented Willis from touring more frequently during the prime of his career.
The guitarist, nicknamed “Chank,” joined the Motown house band in 1959, joining a group of session musicians that included guitarists Joe Messina, Robert White and Marv Tarplin,...
Willis’ daughter Terez Willis told the Detroit Free Press that her father had been suffering from complications from his lifelong bout with polio, which he had since childhood and prevented Willis from touring more frequently during the prime of his career.
The guitarist, nicknamed “Chank,” joined the Motown house band in 1959, joining a group of session musicians that included guitarists Joe Messina, Robert White and Marv Tarplin,...
- 8/21/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
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