Bernard Odum

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Bernard Odum
Background information
Born	1932
Died	August 17, 2004 Mobile, Alabama, USA
Genre(s)	R&B, funk
Occupation(s)	Bassist
Instrument(s)	Bass
Associated acts	James Brown Maceo & All the King's Men

Bernard Odum (1932 - August 17, 2004) was an American bass guitar player best known for performing in James Brown's band in the 1960s.

Odum started playing with Brown in 1956 and became a full-time member of Brown's band in 1958. Odum worked in the James Brown band until the end of the 1960s, and played on such hits as "It's a Man's Man's Man's World" (1964), "I Got You (I Feel Good)" (1965), and "Cold Sweat" (1967).

In 1969, Odum and most of the other musicians in Brown's band walked out on him over a pay dispute and other issues, prompting Brown to create a new backing band, The J.B.'s. In 1970, Odum briefly joined Maceo Parker's group, Maceo & All the King's Men, appearing on the album Doin' Their Own Thing.

Bernard Odum played a 1956 Fender Precision Bass, strung with flatwound strings, through out most of his career. He also played a Vox "teardrop" bass as well as a 120 watt Westminster 1x18 bass combo amp when Brown and his band gained an endorsement from Vox towards the end of 1965.

Odum died of kidney failure at the age of 72 in his hometown of Mobile, Alabama.

[edit] References

• Bass Player
• Rolling Stone, September 30, 2004
• Discography