Who inspired you to become a bassist? (part 2)

[speak2planets]

Geddy. My friend's older brother played keyboards and woud play the album Signals all the time. I was just floored byt the bass lines. Like most young males, I really wanted to have girls take an interest in me and girls seemed to notice the cool guys playing guitar. Everybody wanted to be a guitar player but I was drawn to the groove. Even my Dad, who played folk guitar, asked me if I really wanted to play bass and not guitar. Well, to make a long story short, the cliche of the bass player being the most unpopular one in a band turned out to be true in my case. Poor patheti-sad me!!!

[buzer]

Fieldy from korn! When i first heard a korn song i just thought wow! What's making that sound! Awesome!

[thatbassist863]

Leonard "Hub" Hubbard from The Roots. A friend introduced me to them and the grooves hooked me. He definitely an underrated bassist. What hooked me was his playing on both electric and upright on their earlier albums.

[thunderbird66]

Steve Harris. He really validated the bass for me as a kid. Phil lynott and Gene Simmons also but more for their singing ( yes i sing lead too-usually because finding a singer with their sh#% in one sock is about impossible ).

[amablkm]

Chuck Rainey with Steely Dan
Nathan Watts - Stevie Wonder
John McVie - Fleetwood Mac
Sting - Police
Verdine White - Earth Wind Fire
Geddy Lee - Rush
All the great 70's funk/R&B Lakeslide, Slave, etc

I'm 46 years old and have only being playing bass for about 3 years. I've been listening to the above guys for 20 and in some cases 30 years

[FrizzleFry]

My best friend (still is) was a guitar player, we were 13 at the time and one day he said " Hey you should play bass" and I said "sure, what's that?". Went to the music store with him one day to try one out.Fell in love. A week later I owned my first bass!

[Pills Are Yummy]

Rex Brown. I can still remember being 12 and sitting in my room playing along to "Walk"

Good times

[codydang]

I was in Jazz Choir in high school and we were singing a christmas set. We had a rhythm section, Gulliver on drums and Irvin on bass. I immediately noticed how cool the bass and when I heard the sound, I knew that I wanted to play.

[gregmon79]

John enthwistle
Justin chancelor
Flea
I remember hearing short bass fills in bans like sepultura and downset and noticed just how cool the bass could be
Tim cummerford
Paul mcartney
Cliff Burton

To name a few.....

[APeck]

I play upright mostly, and I played because I was 5'8" in fifth grade and the orchestra teacher suggested bass. Now I'm hooked!

[tat2jim]

McCartney and Squire.

[Billy K]

Mike Porcaro of Toto.At 57 years old I bought a bass and started taking lessons.Then Mike came down with Lou Gerieg disease.Broke my heart i won't see him play again.he wasn't flashy just in that pocket and stood on stage exuding "cool".God Bless you Mike

[matala]

Mr. Steve Harris. About like 12 years ago I used to play guitar when my friend asked me to replace their bass-player that had quitted in an Iron maiden´s coverband. I thought that whattahell, and then one thing leaded to another well, and here I am.

[nightingale]

A guy named Oliver Sim. He plays bass in an obscure indie pop band called The XX.

[Skywer]

Mike Starr
John Paul Jones
Krist Novoselic
And two of my friends-both plays guitar.

[MoogMaestroMuff]

QOTSA and Eagles of Death Metal groovy/fuzzy basslines
Chris Squire
Jesse F. Keeler
Lemmy
...And all those ''4 strings guitarists''

Paul McCartney
John Stirratt
For those wonderful hollowbody sounds.

[blastbear100]

Pino Palladino - john mayer trio
Chris Squire - yes
Jack Bruce - cream
Pete Cetera - chicago

[Sethbass]

Doug Pinnick-King's X when I first heard the album "Faith Hope Love" and songs like "Moanjam", "I Can't Help It" or "Talk to You" it changed the way I played.. I was taught on country music but when i discovered this album it changed everything!!!

[fromthedepths]

I think the first i really noticed were Andy Rourke from the Smiths and Mike Watt from the Minutemen. And Joe Lally from Fugazi. I grew up near DC, and still remember hearing the opening line of "Waiting Room" the first time. It made a dent.

[BtHt83]

The free market: everyone's a guitarist or drummer.