Famed Soul-Jazz guitarist Cornell Dupree passed away in Fort Worth, Texas on May 8th. He was 69 years old, and had been suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Mr. Dupree was a legendary studio guitarist who had worked alongside many of the great producers and recording artists in the blues 
and R&B industry for nearly 50 years.
Beyond touring with Aretha Franklin from 1967-1976 and playing sessions with renowned R&B producer Jerry Wexler, Cornell Dupree also played in the studio a purported 2500 times, and backed such household names as James Brown, King Curtis, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, and B.B. King.
He had a signature guitar series produced through Yamaha, but also played on a variety of Fender guitars as well to achieve his signature sound.
He can also be heard playing the opening guitar riff of Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”, which reached the Top 50 on the Billboard Music Chart.
Cornell Dupree was a founding member of his own musical group “Stuff”, with whom he recorded 10 albums, the last of which was released in 1998. He is survived by his wife Erma.
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