Fred Wesley was the son of a high-school teacher and a leader in a big band. His first love, like Alfred “Pee Wee”, Ellis, was jazz. He joined the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, in 1962. After a brief stint with Hank Ballard and The Midnighters, and Army service, his first term with James Brown (1968-70) was his first. A second stint (1971-1975) saw him with the Godfather of Soul, leading J.B.’s The after Bootsy Collins left in 1971. The versatile trombonist went on to play featured roles with George Clinton in Funkadelic as well as leader of Horny Horns The; he then joined the Count Basie Orchestra in the 1980s as Al Grey’s replacement. From discogs
