Larry Dunn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Larry Dunn
Larry Dunn with Earth, Wind & Fire c.1977
Background information
Birth name	Lorenzo Russell Dunn
Born	(1953-06-19) June 19, 1953 (age 72)
Origin	Denver, Colorado, United States
Genres	Funk, disco, soul
Occupation(s)	Musician, producer, songwriter
Years active	1972–present
Labels	Columbia, ARC, Another Hit, 101 South
Associated acts	Earth, Wind & Fire, Twennynine, Lenny White, Ronnie Laws, Caldera, The Emotions, Ramsey Lewis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Brian Culbertson

Larry Dunn, born Lorenzo Russell Dunn on June 19, 1953, is a talented American musician. He plays keyboards, produces music, writes songs, and directs musical performances. He is famous for being one of the first members of the band Earth, Wind & Fire.

Larry Dunn is a very respected musician. He has been honored in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. He has also won 7 Grammy Awards, 4 American Music Awards, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Dunn helped write the famous Earth, Wind & Fire song "Shining Star", which is now in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

As a music producer, Dunn has worked with many artists. Some of these include Lenny White, Caldera, Ramsey Lewis, Level 42, Twennynine, Ronnie Laws, Raphael Saadiq, The Emotions, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Brian Culbertson.

Larry Dunn's Early Life and Musical Start

Larry Dunn, whose birth name is Lorenzo Dunn, was born to an Italian mother and an African American father. He loved music from a young age. He went to East High School in Denver, Colorado.

Playing Music as a Teenager

By the time he was 13, Larry was already playing in local bands. At 15, he started playing regularly at a nightclub in Denver. This club was owned by a basketball player named Wayne Hightower. Even though Larry was underage, he and his bandmates were allowed to perform seven nights a week. They played songs by artists like James Brown, Dionne Warwick, Santana, and The Temptations.

Forming Friends & Lovers

When he was 16, Dunn helped start a band called Friends & Lovers. This group included Philip Bailey and Andrew Woolfolk, who would later work with him again. Friends & Lovers even opened for an early version of Earth, Wind & Fire.

Later, when some of Earth, Wind & Fire's original members left, Philip Bailey suggested Larry Dunn to Maurice White. This happened after Larry played an amazing solo on his Hammond B3 organ at a show. This led to Larry Dunn joining Earth, Wind & Fire, becoming a key member of their classic lineup.

Larry Dunn's Music Career

Joining Earth, Wind & Fire

In 1972, Larry Dunn moved to Los Angeles and joined a new band. This band was led by a musician from Chicago named Maurice White, and it was called Earth, Wind & Fire. Larry played keyboards for this famous band for 11 years, until 1983.

Larry Dunn also made a special guest appearance on Earth, Wind & Fire's 2013 album, Now, Then & Forever.

Producing Music for Other Artists

Larry Dunn has produced many albums for other musicians.

• In 1977, he produced Caldera's album Sky Islands.
• He also helped produce Ramsey Lewis's 1977 album Tequila Mockingbird.
• In 1978, he produced Caldera's album Time and Chance and Lenny White's album Streamline.
• Larry Dunn worked with Lenny White to produce Twennynine's albums Best of Friends (1979) and Twennynine with Lenny White (1980).
• He produced Ramsey Lewis's 1980 album Routes.
• In 1981, he produced Stanley Turrentine's album Tender Togetherness.
• Dunn also co-produced Level 42's 1983 album Standing in the Light with Verdine White from Earth, Wind & Fire. This album became very popular in the UK.

Guest Appearances on Albums

Larry Dunn has played keyboards on many albums for other artists.

• He played on The Emotions' 1976 album Flowers.
• He also played on Deniece Williams' 1977 album Song Bird, Dee Dee Bridgewater's 1977 album Just Family, and Ronnie Laws' 1977 album Friends & Strangers.
• He continued to play on albums like The Emotions' Rejoice (1977), The Pockets' Take It On Up (1978), and Lenny White's The Adventures of Astral Pirates (1978).
• Dunn played on several more albums by Ronnie Laws, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Hubert Laws in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
• In the 1980s and 1990s, he appeared on albums by Morris Day, Ramsey Lewis, and continued to work with Ronnie Laws. He also helped arrange music for Laws' 1995 album Brotherhood.
• More recently, Dunn played on Brian Culbertson's 2008 album Bringing Back The Funk, Raphael Saadiq's 2010 album Stone Rollin', and Culbertson's 2014 album Another Long Night Out.

Larry Dunn's Own Music

Larry Dunn has also released his own music. Here is a look at some of his albums:

Awards and Honors

Larry Dunn has received many awards for his musical talents.

Grammy Awards