Joe Osborn, the legendary bass player for the studio supergroup known as the “Wrecking Crew,” has died at age 81. The director of a 2008 documentary about the group confirmed the news on Saturday (Dec. 15) in a Facebook post about the Los Angeles-based group of session musicians who played on a string of indelible hits in the 1960s and 70s.
“I’m sorry to tell you that we’ve lost another friend yesterday. Joe Osborn has passed. When I started this documentary, it was very difficult to get to all the players around the country. But there was no way I was not going to make the trip out to meet Joe,” wrote director Denny Tedesco. “I flew to Shreveport where he was playing with Johnny Rivers and James Burton. He made sure he found time for me to do that interview which was so important to the history of the Wrecking Crew. Over the years, he was always there when we needed him for a concert or screening. Even though he was a quiet man, I could see the sparkle in his eyes when he saw the love of his fans. I called him a gentle bear. He made his impact in Rock and Roll and Country… He will truly be missed but not forgotten.”
According to Rolling Stone, Tedesco confirmed that Osborn died on Friday (Dec. 14) following a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
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