Dennis Coffey

[Shelley "SoleMann" King]

Dennis Coffey (born November 1940, Detroit, Michigan) is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.

Coffey learned to play guitar when he was thirteen in Copper City in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. At the age of fifteen he played on his first record, session backing Vic Gallon on "I'm Gone" on the Gondola record label. In the early 1960s he joined The Royaltones who had had hits with "Poor Boy" in 1958 and "Flamingo Express" in 1961. The Royaltones played sessions with other artists including Del Shannon.

As a member of the Funk Brothers studio band, Coffey played on dozens of recordings for Motown Records, and introduced the wah-wah guitar sound to Motown record producer Norman Whitfield's recordings, the most notable of which is Cloud Nine by Temptations. He also played on Edwin Starr's "S.O.S. (Stop Her on Sight)," The Isley Brothers' "It's Your Thing", and Freda Payne's "Band of Gold". In addition, Coffey scored the blaxploitation film, Black Belt Jones.

In 1971, Coffey recorded "Scorpio" which was a million selling instrumental single that peaked at #6 on the Billboard pop chart. The instrumental track featured the former Motown "funk brother", Bob Babbitt on the bass. This received a gold disc awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America on 9 December 1971.

The follow-up in 1972 was "Taurus", both credited to Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band. Since then, he has recorded several solo albums, most of them for the Sussex and Westbound labels. While at Sussex Records Coffey arranged and produced along with Mike Theodore the million selling "Nice To Be With You" by the group, Gallery.

Coffee was interviewed in the 2002 film, Standing In the Shadows of Motown, which told the story of Funk Brothers and explained that he had sold his Fender Stratocaster to buy a Gibson Firebird after he heard Eddie Willis of Funk Brothers play it during a Motown session.

In 2004, he published a memoir, Guitars, Bars and Motown Superstars.

In 2008, he co produced the Carl Dixon/BandTraxs sessions at Studio A/Dearborn Heights/Detroit. Four tracks were recorded featuring some of Motown's Funk Brothers including Uriel Jones, Bob Babbit, Dennis Coffey and Ray Monette, plus other distinguished Detroit session musicians. Spyder Turner, Pree and Gayle Butts were vocalists on the session. The session was arranged by legendary Motown arranger David J.Van De Pitte.


Dennis Coffey: Scorpio



Dennis Coffey: Just My Imagination



Dennis Coffey - Never Can Say Goodbye



Dennis Coffey - Main Theme (from Black Belt Jones)

[Edie Antoinette]

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[Edie Antoinette]

Whoa! See, this is what ahm talkin bout!!!!! Excellent! I've seen his name for years! *clapping* Good job!