Joe Hunter In Memoriam

BY JIM GALLERT

Pianist Joseph Edward Hunter, 79, died February 2, 2007 of natural causes.

Best known as Motown's first pianist — his funky, crisp piano graced many of the label's early hits like "Pride And Joy" and "Heat Wave" — Hunter had achieved worldwide recognition through his appearance in the film "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown.

Hunter was born on November 27, 1927, in Jackson, Tennessee. His family moved to Detroit around 1938. Joe's mother taught piano and Joe absorbed a wealth of great music, both live and on record: Tatum, Rachmaninoff, and Nat Cole. He gigged around town with small groups, attended Northern High School, played piano during his stay in the Army (Elvin Jones was in the band), and eked out a living on the competitive Detroit music scene. In 1959 he met Berry Gordy, whom Hunter helped assemble a band, the first working Motown band. After leaving Motown to concentrate on arranging, Hunter fell off the radar screen, working in various studios around town with some jazz jobs at night. He was working a solo job in Troy (for a good salary) when Allan Slutsky contacted him about being in "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown".

He was a fine pianist with a great knowledge of chords and popular music and an orchestra in his left hand. Genial, gifted, humble, Joe Hunter just loved to play and loved to talk about music.