Who started it all for you?

[Gizmot]

I am a multi-instrumentalist and what swayed me to play bass was pure necessity - a group needed a bass player and not a guitar or keyboard player. My earliest influencers were Philly soul icon Dexter Wansel, Tiran Porter of the Doobies, Jim Fielder of Blood, Sweat and Tears, Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius

 

[OmnitzGarima]

The first person I heard and said "I want to play like THAT" was probably Jack Bruce.

Yes.

 

[Ukemi]

John Myung, I guess. DT are my favourite band, but Myung is - to me - the most talented bassist on the planet.

To be honest, though, it wasn't a bassist in particular that did it for me. It was the bass itself - the sound, the deep growls, that heavy lull in the background. It has its own voice, not longing for the spotlight, but essential to the feel of the music. It was that necessity that drew me in.

 

[Manx]

Jack Casady. The Hot Tuna album. Not just the solo on Mann's Fate, but ALL his playing on that album. So Much Feel! So Much Expressiveness! So Much Tone!

 

[Rudreax]

Always wanted to play but never had the "push". Played YYZ on Guitar Hero 2 (bass obviously). Instantly hooked. So I guess Geddy Lee.

 

[Marsvoltian]

To be entirely cliche mine was most likely Justin Chancellor. But originally Cliff Burton and Steve Harris would have initiated.

 

[jmattbassplaya]

John Taylor of Duran Duran, followed closely by Steve Harris and Cliff Burton. But honestly, something about John Taylor's lines made me say, "I want to play THAT."

 

[BassChalice]

Yes! I had a very definitive moment like the OP after hearing the most awesome bass solo ever, which literally made me say, "I gotta start playing bass, like tomorrow!!" It was the beautiful fretless passage at the end of Funkadelic's "Grooveallegiance" off the album One Nation Under a Groove. For years, I had assumed it was Bootsie, but recently I read somewhere that it was 'Skeet' Curtis. Not sure how reliable that info was. They have three bassists credited on the album but no song by song credits. Anyway, if you've never heard it before, or even if you have, go check it out!

 

[oldbassplayergu]

two words Dee Dee

 

[MR PC]

Pretty common question...
Bob Mosley with Moby Grape.
I was 17 yrs old and saw them live at the Winterland.
When (I already had the debut album) they played the song
"Changes", I was forever a bassist.

Bump for a great musician with a unique and individual p bass tone and excellent vibe as a human being. Bob Mosley was the best of the best bassists in the Winterland and Fillmore days.

 

[Bassbat]

I knew I wanted to play an instrument when I was 11. I got an alto sax after attending one of those music assemblies that instrument distro's put on in school and joined the the band. I hated it and decided I wanted to play some kind of guitar. My dad played bass in his high school band so I was gonna get one till I found out what a bass was. Then in high school my girl friend got a bass, but left it at my house for a year. Tool's Aenima came out and I wanted to learn 46 & 2. after that I was hooked on bass. I still Love Justin Chancellors playing.

 

[fullrangebass]

I strarted out as a guitar player, influenced by Angus Young, Wolf Hoffmann (Accept), Steve Lynch (Autograph), Schenker brothers (Michael and Rudy), Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Paul Gilbert and Stanley Jordan (to name a few). When I first heard Talas (Billy something was the bass player's name ) I said to myself "if I was not playing the guitar, I'd be playing the bass".

So it was Billy Sheehan that started itt all for me. The funny thing is that only recently, I realized that the bass players standing next to my favorite players have influenced me subconsciously (Mark Evans, Cliff Williams, Peter Baltes, Pete Way, Mark Mendoza etc etc). Still, looking back and evaluating their influence, Billy still holds strong as an influence throughout his works with Talas, DLR, Mr Big, Niacin, his solo works (as well as his collaborations with Vai, Bozzio etc)

 

[Momus]

Geezer Butler. When I heard the song Children of the Sea the first time, I decided I wanted to play bass. That thought lied dormant in my head for 3 years, until my friends wanted to start a band for the school graduation show.

I've been playing for about a year and a half now, and I don't know what I would do without my bass!

 

[AndybradleyUK]

My dad got me into jazz when I was young, playing Weather Report. It was Jaco on Birdland that pushed me from being a classical guitarist to a bassist.

 

[LennyPenny]

There wasn't just one bassist, it's been more of a gradual thing for me where the thought of picking up bass has been smouldering for quite some time.
The ones that really made me think "I'm getting a bass!!" were Chris #2 from Anti-Flag and Joe Principe from Rise Against.
Hardly legends but still, that's the music I currently listen to the most and I think they're both great bassists.

 

[chuck norriss]

John Doe, X

 

[73 rickey]

The Beatles,
I am a lefty & in Dec.63 my parents had a friend try & teach me guitar, but said I didn't have it because I couldn't (wouldn't) learn right handed. Well Ed Sullivan introduced The Beatles Feb.64.

I remember yelling out to my parents " look that guy is left handed" the rest is history for me..... I'm now 60 & had a long career in the music businss.. Life is good!

 

[diehard70]

I'd have to say Chris Squire was the reason I picked up the bass, but Geddy has been a bigger influence on my playing (at least in the beginning). Been many more since then, though

 

[ldscott70]

James Jamerson,Wille Weeks, Lucky Scott....I would just have to flip a coin.

 

[74jazzbass]

Steve Harris, Iron Maiden Killers album followed by The Number Of The Beast album and I was a bass lover.

It was the same for me, Steve blew my doors off!