Eddie Willis, original Motown Funk Brother, dies aged 82

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By ( Guitarist, Total Guitar ) published

Guitarist appeared on hits from Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, The Temptations and more

(Image credit: Tabatha Fireman/Redferns/Getty)

Eddie Willis, guitarist and founding member of Motown record label house band, the Funk Brothers, has died aged 82.

Willis had been suffering complications from his lifelong battle with polio.

The guitarist, known as ‘Chank’, joined the Motown house band in 1959, and lent his choppy, syncopated style to hits including The Marvelettes’ Mr. Postman, The Supremes’ You Keep Me Hangin’ On, the Temptations’ The Way You Do The Things You Do, and Stevie Wonder’s I Was Made To Love Her and My Cherie Amour.

Willis left the label in 1972, but continued to tour with The Temptations’ Eddie Kendricks and also played with The Four Tops.

In 2013, Willis - along with other surviving Funk Brothers - received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

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Michael Astley-Brown
Michael Astley-Brown

Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.