Weeks was born in
Salemburg, North Carolina, and began playing the
electric bass in the early 1960s. His earliest influences were the
country,
pop and
R&B music he heard on the
radio. Weeks counts bassists
Ron Carter,
James Jamerson, and
Ray Brown as early influences. Weeks has worked in the
studio or toured with a wide range of artists, including
Gregg Allman,
David Bowie,
Jimmy Buffett,
Kevin Chalfant,
Eric Clapton,
Hank Crawford,
Bo Diddley,
The Doobie Brothers,
Lou Fellingham,
Aretha Franklin,
Isaac Hayes,
George Harrison,
Vince Gill,
Donny Hathaway,
Etta James,
Billy Joel,
Wynonna Judd,
Chaka Khan,
B.B. King,
Neil Larsen,
Lyle Lovett,
Gail Davies,
David Lee Roth,
Michael McDonald,
Don McLean,
John Mayer,
Bette Midler,
Randy Newman,
Andy Newmark,
Pino Palladino,
Boz Scaggs,
John Scofield,
Carly Simon,
Soulive,
Rod Stewart,
The Rolling Stones,
James Taylor,
Joe Walsh,
Steve Winwood,
Bobby Womack,
Stevie Wonder,
Ronnie Wood and
Eikichi Yazawa. His playing on
Donny Hathaway's
Live (1972), including a 3½ minute bass solo on "Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything)", which is regarded by many bass players as some of Weeks' best work. He played a 1962
Fender P-Bass through an
Ampeg SVT amplifier on the recording (though it had initially been reported that he played through an Ampeg B-15). Weeks' contributions to the Hathaway album impressed many English rock musicians, leading to his work with Ronnie Wood, The Rolling Stones (
"It's Only Rock & Roll"), George Harrison and David Bowie from 1974 onwards. In a press conference for his 1974 North American tour, Harrison cited Weeks' musicianship when dismissing the likelihood of a
Beatles reunion, saying he would "rather have Willie Weeks on bass than
Paul McCartney". Weeks played with Ask Rufus, the precursor band to
Rufus with
Chaka Khan. He appeared on their recording of
Al Kooper's song "Brand New Day". Weeks also played with the Fabulous Amazers and
Bill Lordan (pre
Robin Trower drummer) in the Minnesota group Gypsy. He also played bass guitar for Michael's Mystics back in the 1960s in Minnesota, with Lordan again on drums. That band recorded "Pain" by the Grassroots, a big hit locally for the Mystics. He also played bass at Clapton's
Crossroads Guitar Festival on July 28, 2007 at
Toyota Park in
Bridgeview, Illinois. ==Equipment==