Larry Dunn

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Larry Dunn
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Dunn with Earth, Wind & Fire c. 1977
Background information
Born
Lorenzo Russell Dunn

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OriginDenver, Colorado, U.S.
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Years active1972–present
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Websitelarrydunnmusic.com

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Larry Dunn (born Lorenzo Russell Dunn; June 19, 1953) is an American keyboardist, producer, songwriter and musical director, known as one of the original members of the music group Earth, Wind & Fire. Dunn was inducted, as a former band member, into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Dunn has received the ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award, 7 Grammy Awards, 4 American Music Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Dunn is a co-composer of EWF's "Shining Star", a song that's been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[1][2][3]

As a record producer, Dunn is best known for his work with Lenny White, Caldera, Ramsey Lewis, Level 42, Twennynine, Ronnie Laws, Raphael Saadiq, The Emotions, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Brian Culbertson.[4][5]

Early life and education

Born as Lorenzo Dunn to an Italian mother and African American father,[6] he early on became fond of music and later attended East High School in Denver, Colorado.

By the age of 13, he was performing in local bands, and at 15, he began playing regularly at a nightclub owned by Denver Rockets basketball player Wayne Hightower. Despite being underage, Dunn and his bandmates, including future collaborators such as Philip Bailey, were allowed to perform seven nights a week, covering music by James Brown, Dionne Warwick, Santana, and The Temptations among others. [7]

At 16, Dunn co-founded a band called Friends & Lovers, which included Bailey, Andrew Woolfolk, and others. The group opened for an early lineup of Earth, Wind & Fire. After Earth, Wind & Fire's original members left, Bailey contacted Maurice White to recommend Dunn, following a performance where Dunn played an extended Hammond B3 organ solo during a show at Manual High School in Denver. This ultimately led to Dunn joining Earth, Wind & Fire, becoming one of its original members in the classic lineup. [8]

Career

Earth, Wind & Fire

During 1972, while in Los Angeles, Dunn joined a new band led and founded by a Chicago musician known as Maurice White by the name of Earth, Wind & Fire. As a keyboardist Dunn played with the legendary band for the next 11 years until his departure in 1983.[4][9][10]

Dunn went on to make a guest appearance on EWF's 2013 album Now, Then & Forever.[11]

Production

Dunn produced Caldera on their 1977 album Sky Islands. Sky Islands rose to No. 18 on the Cashbox Top Jazz Albums chart. He then co-produced Ramsey Lewis' 1977 studio LP Tequila Mockingbird. Tequila Mockingbird peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart. He again produced Caldera on the group's 1978 album Time and Chance. Dunn later produced Lenny White on his 1978 album Streamline. Streamline reached No. 27 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.[12][13][14][15][16][17]

Along with White he co-produced Twennynine's 1979 LP Best of Friends. That album reached number 15 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. Together with Lenny White he again co-produced the group's 1980 album entitled Twennynine with Lenny White. That LP reached No. 22 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. Dunn went on to produce Ramsey Lewis on his 1980 album Routes. Routes reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.[18][19][20][21][22] He later produced Stanley Turrentine's 1981 LP Tender Togetherness. That album got to No. 13 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.[23][24] He then co-produced, along with EWF's Verdine White, Level 42's 1983 album Standing in the Light. Standing in the Light was certified Gold in the UK by the BPI.[25][26]

Guest appearances

Dunn performed as a keyboardist on The Emotions' 1976 album Flowers, Deniece Williams' 1977 album Song Bird, Dee Dee Bridgewater's 1977 LP Just Family and Ronnie Laws' 1977 album Friends & Strangers. He also performed on the Emotions' 1977 album Rejoice, the Pockets's 1978 LP Take It On Up, Caldera's 1978 album Time and Chance, and Lenny White's 1978 album The Adventures of Astral Pirates. Dunn went on to play the keyboards on Ronnie Laws 1978 LP Flame, Hubert Laws' 1979 LP Land of Passion and Dee Dee Bridgewater's 1979 album Bad for Me.[4] He then played on Ronnie Laws' 1980 LP Every Generation and his 1981 album Solid Ground. Dunn then performed on Ronnie Laws' 1983 album Mr. Nice Guy and Jennifer Holliday's 1983 LP Feel My Soul.[27][4]

Dunn later featured on Morris Day's 1985 album Color of Success and Ronnie Laws 1986 LP Mirror Town. He then appeared on Ramsey Lewis 1987 album Keys to the City and Ronnie Laws' 1989 LP True Spirit.[4] Dunn later composed on Ronnie Laws' 1991 album Identity and his 1992 LP Deep Soul. Dunn also worked as an arranger on Laws' 1995 album Brotherhood. He then played on Dean James 1997 LP Intimacy and Reel Tight's 1999 album Back to the Real. Dunn also appeared on Ronnie Laws' 2000 LP Dream a Little and his 2004 album Everlasting.[4] Dunn later performed on Brian Culbertson's 2008 album Bringing Back The Funk, Raphael Saadiq's 2010 LP Stone Rollin' and Culbertson's 2014 album Another Long Night Out.[4]

Discography

Year CD Label Additional info
1992 Larry Dunn Orchestra : Lover's Silhouette Another Hit Records Original, US release
1996 Larry Dunn Orchestra : Lover's Silhouette 101 South ( fusion label ) European release

Awards and honors

Grammy Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1976 Shining Star [28] Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus Won
1977 Gratitude Nominated
Can't Hide Love Best Arrangement For Voices Nominated
1979 All 'N All Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus Won
Runnin Best R&B Instrumental Performance Won
Got To Get You Into My Life Best Pop Vocal Group Nominated
1980 After The Love Has Gone Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus Won
Boogie Wonderland Best R&B Instrumental Performance Won
Best Disco Recording Nominated
After The Love Has Gone Record Of The Year Nominated
1982 Let’s Groove Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group Nominated
1983 Wanna Be With You Won
1984 Fall In Love With Me Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Larry Dunn | Songwriters Hall of Fame". www.songhall.org. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Aronson, Sheryl (2017-12-01). "Larry Dunn Original Member of Earth, Wind & Fire Inducted Into The Colorado Music Hall Of Fame". The Hollywood 360. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."EARTH, WIND & FIRE'S Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, and Andrew Woolfolk". cmhof.org. Colorado Music Hall of Fame. 6 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Larry Dunn". allmusic.com.
  5. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Williams, Chris (2012-11-21). "'That Groove Was Undeniable': Making Earth, Wind & Fire's 'All 'N All'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."ACE Repertory". www.ascap.com.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Key Tracks: Earth, Wind & Fire's That's the Way of the World". daily.redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'That Groove Was Undeniable': Making Earth, Wind & Fire's 'All 'N All' (Demo)". nmaam.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Inner-views : LARRY DUNN". www.smartalecmusic.com. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Aronson, Sheryl (2017-12-01). "Larry Dunn Original Member of Earth, Wind & Fire Inducted Into The Colorado Music Hall Of Fame". The Hollywood 360. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Guerin, Harry (October 23, 2013). "Earth, Wind & Fire - Now, Then & Forever". rte.ie. RTÉ.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Top 40 Jazz Albums". archive.org. Vol. 39, no. 35. Cashbox. January 28, 1978. p. 43.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billboard Best Selling Jazz LPs" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 90. December 2, 1978. p. 56 – via American Radio History.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Baekgaard, Jakob (May 25, 2019). "Caldera: Caldera / Sky Islands". allaboutjazz.com. All About Jazz.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billboard Best Selling Jazz LPs". Billboard Magazine. Vol. 90, no. 10. March 11, 1978. p. 42.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Stenhouse, Tim (November 24, 2016). "RAMSEY LEWIS 'HOT DAWGIT – THE ANTHOLOGY: THE COLUMBIA YEARS 1972-1989' 2CD (SOULMUSIC) 4/5".
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Inner-views: MARCUS MILLER". www.smartalecmusic.com. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Twennynine Featuring Lenny White: Best of Friends (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Twennynine Featuring Lenny White: Twennynine with Lenny White (Top Soul Albums)". billboard.com. Billboard.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Interview: Lenny White". The Last Miles. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Marchese, Joe (2013-12-18). "Piano Jazz: Robinsongs Revives Ramsey Lewis, Richard Tee LPs on CD - The Second Disc". theseconddisc.com. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Billboard Best Selling Jazz LPs" (PDF). americanradiohistory.com. Vol. 92, no. 41. Billboard. October 11, 1980. p. 66.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Top Jazz Albums" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 93. October 24, 1981. p. 39 – via American Radio History.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Leggett, Steve, "Stanley Turrentine - Tender Togetherness", Allmusic, retrieved 2023-07-02
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Cooper, William, "Level 42 - Standing in the Light", Allmusic, retrieved 2023-07-02
  26. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Level 42: Standing In The Light". bpi.co.uk. BPI.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ronnie Laws: Mr. Nice Guy. Capitol Records. 1983.
  28. ^ "Larry Dunn Grammy Awards""Grammy Awards. Retrieved 2025-06-19"

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