Cornell Dupree

Cornell Luther Dupree (December 19, 1942 – May 8, 2011) was an American jazz and R&B guitarist. He worked at various times with Aretha Franklin, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway, King Curtis and Steve Gadd, appeared on David Letterman, and wrote a book on soul and blues guitar, Rhythm and Blues Guitar. He reportedly recorded on 2,500 sessions.

Dupree was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, where he graduated from I.M. Terrell High School. He began his career playing in the studio band for Atlantic Records, recording albums by Aretha Franklin (Aretha Live at Fillmore West) and King Curtis as a member of Curtis’s band The King Pins, having grown up with King Curtis in Fort Worth). He appeared on the 1969 Lena Horne and Gábor Szabó recording and on recordings with Archie Shepp, Grover Washington Jr., Snooky Young, and Miles Davis.

He was a founding member of the band Stuff with Eric Gale, Richard Tee, Steve Gadd, Chris Parker, and Gordon Edwards. Dupree and Tee recorded together on many occasions. Dupree appeared on Joe Cocker’s Stingray and Luxury You Can Afford, plus Cornell’s solo albums Teasin, Saturday Night Fever, Shadow Dancing, Can’t Get Through, Coast to Coast, Uncle Funky, Child’s Play, Bop ‘n’ Blues, and Unstuffed. He played on Brook Benton’s “Rainy Night in Georgia” and “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and is featured on two tracks of Peter Wolf’s 1998 album, Fool’s Parade.

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