New Episode Alert! Join Gear Club Podcast as we chat with Doug Wimbish, one of the most renowned bass players of all time, known for his work with a wide range of artists including Living Colour, Sugar Hill Gang, Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox and many more. Tune in as our hosts explore Doug’s journey through the music industry and discuss topics such as the evolution of bass playing, the birth of Hip Hop, and his experiences touring with music icons.

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Bassist Doug Wimbish’s friendship with drummer, producer, writer and recording artist Keith Leblanc extended over 45 years, with the pair first meeting in 1979, when drummer Harold Sargent introduced Leblanc to Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald.

The trio would become the legendary Sugar Hill Records House band for the groundbreaking & legendary label, Sugarhill Records, recording, producing and writing on classic hits such as Sugarhill Gang’s Apache, 8th Wonder and their 1980 self-titled album, Sugarhill Gang; Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s White Lines and The Message; the Funky 4 + 1’s That’s The Joint and more by the likes of the Treacherous 3, the Crash Crew and the Sequence.

When LeBlanc met British producer Adrian Sherwood in the early 1980s, the two teamed up with LeBlanc’s former Sugar Hill collaborators bassist Doug Wimbish and guitarist Skip McDonald to form the industrial hip-hop band Tackhead, later joined by Rolling Stones vocalist Bernard Fowler.

It is with great reverence and love for his legendary, departed friend Keith, that Doug is proud to present WimBash - A Celebration of Keith Leblanc, on Friday, November 8th, 2024 at Black Eyed Sally’s in Hartford, CT.

Doug will be joined by Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Raghav Mehrotra, MJT The Band, Organized Chaos, Thaddeus Black (ft. Keith’s son, Chuck Peterson on drums), Jme Starchild, Dave Koltai & special guests in a musical tribute to Keith.

Special thanks for the continued support of the Hartford Firefighters Association Local 760 in presenting this event.

In its nearly 50-year history, the iconic Spector NS bass has been played by legendary bassists on countless recordings and stages. In the brand’s storied history, no bassist has become more synonymous with Spector than Doug Wimbish. Upon receiving his first Spector NS basses in 1987, Doug has employed these instruments on legendary recordings and performances with the likes of Living Colour, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Annie Lennox, Seal, Depeche Mode, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Madonna, and many, many more.

Now, Spector’s USA Custom Shop is proud to debut the Doug Wimbish USA Signature Series. The collection includes a four-string model, the DW-4, and a 5-string model, the DW-5. Each model has been carefully specified to match the unique properties of Doug’s vintage instruments including unique neck carves, nut widths, pickup locations, and even custom-wound EMG pickups that have been voiced alongside the pickups in Doug’s 1987 Spector instruments.

Experience the sound and feel that inspired Doug’s signature style with the new DW-4 and DW-5 models from the Spector USA Custom Shop.

"Spector took the time to get every little nuance right and that to me is dedication and being thoughtful enough to know “I want to nail it” and you did. I’m able to pick these instruments up for the first time and play them like I’ve already had them for years.”

- Doug Wimbish

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If you're a hip hop fan, you can't miss this: legendary bass player Doug Wimbish will visit Harper College on November 2, 2023 to discuss the key role he played in the early days of this world-changing music, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Doug was a member of the Sugar Hill Records house band on early hip hop classics like "The Message," "White Lines," and "Apache." Bass player for the innovative and Grammy-winning rock band Living Colour, Doug has also worked with artists including James Brown, Madonna, Annie Lennox, Mos Def, Seal, Jeff Beck, George Clinton, Depeche Mode, and Mick Jagger, to name only a few.

Join us as Doug talks about the history of hip hop, about his career in the business, and about the healing power of music and community. Doug will play some of his classic bass lines, and invites aspiring MCs, poets, bassists, guitar players, drummers, and DJs to join him for an open jam after the talk. Learn more here →

Welcome to WimBash Hartford 2023!

Living Colour bassist and Connecticut native Doug Wimbish is excited to announce the return of WimBash to Connecticut’s Capital City on November 10th, 2023 at Black Eyed Sally’s!

After rocking downtown Hartford’s Black Eyed Sally’s with an explosive line-up last year, Doug welcomes the addition of local Connecticut bands to this years event along with the return of his WimBash Sound System with drummer Raghav Mehrotra, Funky Dawgz, MJT the Band [who are just off a tour with Alterbridge and Sevendust] and Koltai!

Presented by Hartford Fire Fighters Association Local 760, the event features:

WimBash Sound System ft. Doug Wimbish & Raghav Mehrotra, Funky Dawgz, MJT the Band, Organized Chaos, JME Starchild & Dream Factory & Koltai!

Friday, November 10, 2023 - 7:00 to 11:00 PM

Black Eyed Sally’s

Hartford, CT

Tickets Available Here →

Bass and Drum legends, Doug Wimbish & Will Calhoun perform an up close and personal clinic covering bass playing and drumming techniques, their history and live experiences. This is not to be missed! Doug and Will have carved out careers as two of the most innovative and cutting edge players of the modern era. These legends have done it all, playing with the The Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode, Tackhead and of course, Living Colour. Come and learn from the best in the business as they explain and demonstrate how to take your musicianship to another level. More info and tickets here.

Turramurra Music invites you to a Masterclass featuring Living Colour's bassist, Doug Wimbish & drummer, Will Calhoun, on Monday, September 11, 2023 at Magpie’s Waitara in Waitara, NSW, Australia.

The programme for this event includes: Performances & Rhythmic Demonstrations, Practice Philosophy & Routine, Insight into the Life of A Touring Musician, the Music and Influences that made Doug & Will, Q&A Session, Photo & Signing Opportunities, Giveaways including a Spector Bass signed by Doug! and more!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Presented by Turramurra Music, Spector and Aguilar.

Tickets & more information here.

Doug is interviewed by NBC CT’s Jeremy Chen discussing his early Hip Hop history with Sugar Hill Records on the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop. Read story here →

Guitar Summit 2023 is thrilled to announce that the legendary Doug Wimbish is set to join us this September! A titan of the bass world, the Spector Artist made his mark in the 80's with musical prowess that spanned pop, rock, heavy metal, funk and experimental genres. His career has ranged from bassist of the Grammy Award winning rock band Living Colour, to original Sugarhill Records House band bassist backing Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, partnering with British dub-reggae wizard Adrian Sherwood, to session work with Madonna and the Rolling Stones. Don't miss your chance to witness the bass mastery of this legend!The Guitar Summit 2023 will take place from September 22 - 24 in Mannheim, Germany. More Info here.

Attending the 2023 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA April 13-15? Join Doug Wimbish at the Eventide Booth #5434 for two performances showcasing Eventide’s H90 Harmonizer on April 14 & 15 at 4:00 PM.

Since 2011, Doug Wimbish has been working with the DREAM Project & the world’s only Bachata Academy music students, located in Cabarete, Dominican Republic. As a brand ambassador for Spector Bass, Doug has coordinated the donations of Spector basses for the DREAM Project Bachata Academy bass students. In 2014, The DREAM Project’s newly established music program received it’s first electric bass, donated by Spector via the WimBash Music Festival. Doug recently visited DREAM’s Bachata Academy in March 2023, providing bass master classes and joining the Bachata Academy students in a performance at Cabarete’s La Chabola.

Back in August 2022, packed into Adrian Sherwood’s UK home, Doug joined reggae legend Horace Andy for his NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. The concert featured Horace Andy (vocals), Adrian Sherwood (live FX), Doug Wimbish (bass), Charlie "Eskimo" Fox (drums), Crucial Tony (guitar), Cyrus Richards (keyboards), Ivan ''Celloman'' Hussey (cello), Dave Fullwood (trumpet), Richard Doswell (saxophone) and Skip McDonald (guitar). See concert video here →

Doug Wimbish is set to visit the School of Rock Music Schools on Nov 8th in Round Rock, TX and on Nov 10th in SW Austin, TX where he’ll host workshops and a meet and greet at the facilities with students, staff and families, as well as providing the SOR students with the opportunity to perform with Doug on stage.

On the heels of their incredible performance at Rock In Rio with Steve Vai, Living Colour decided to recreate that energy with a re-recorded version of their classic “Cult of Personality” featuring Steve Vai. The 100,000 fans in attendance at the Living Colour with Steve Vai performance at Rock in Rio 2022 were treated to a once in a lifetime rendition of “Cult of Personality”, where guitar greats Vernon Reid and Steve Vai traded licks, joined by the boisterous energy of Living Colour’s lead singer Corey Glover, bassist Doug Wimbish & drummer Will Calhoun. Stream or download here →

WimBash Music Festival returns to the City of Hartford on Saturday, Nov 5 at Black Eyed Sally’s. Sponsored by Hartford Fire Fighters Local 760, the event presents Uncle Doug & The Nephews ft. Doug Wimbish, Raghav Mehrotra, Dylan Niederauer & May Godfrey • Funky Dawgz • The MJT Band ft. The Godfrey Brothers • Koltai. Tickets available here →

The mighty TackHead returns to the US for two special performances on Sep 23 & 24 at the Willytown Music & Arts Festival in Ansonia, OH. This is the only 2022 US appearance of the legendary band - Doug Wimbish, Bernard Fowler, Keith LeBlanc, Skip McDonald, Adrian Sherwood. Special guest: Reggie Griffin.

Head>>Fake is the drum and bass, electronic and jazz infused duo of Doug Wimbish & Will Calhoun, the explosive rhythm section that drives the band Living Colour. Join us as we pre-game Bass Magazine’s Bass Bash 2022 & celebrate Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun’s birthday! Friday, July 22 at Martyr’s Live Chicago! Click here for tickets →

Doug speaks with RollingStone Senior Writer Andy Greene in an in-depth interview discussing Sugar Hill Records, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Carly Simon, Living Colour and many more highlights of his career. Read full article here →

Doug Wimbish is Kevin Rankin’s [A Flock of Seagulls] All Access Live guest on Tuesday, June 7 at 1pm ET / 4pm PT. Stream here→

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Gerald Veasley’s Bass Boot Camp, Doug Wimbish was invited as a special guest to present a Bass Masterclass on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at the Philadelphia Bass Gear Expo.