Music
Dennis Coffey
born 1940 · guitarist, producer
Detroit guitarist who brought wah-wah and fuzz to Norman Whitfield's Temptations records and scored the 1971 instrumental hit "Scorpio".
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 85- Birth name
- Dennis James Coffey
- Detroit years
- 1940s–
- Field
- Music
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Coffey played his first recording session at 15, while a sophomore at Detroit's Mackenzie High School, and in the early 1960s joined the Royaltones, who also backed Del Shannon. As a Funk Brothers guitarist in the late 1960s he gave Norman Whitfield the distortion, Echoplex delay and wah-wah heard on the Temptations' "Cloud Nine", "Psychedelic Shack" and "Ball of Confusion", and he also played on "War" and "Band of Gold". In 1971 "Scorpio", credited to Dennis Coffey and the Detroit Guitar Band, sold a million and reached No. 6; he became the first white artist to perform on Soul Train. With Mike Theodore he discovered Detroit singer-songwriter Rodriguez and played on his album Cold Fact. He recorded for Sussex and Detroit's Westbound label and stayed a regular on the local club scene, including Baker's Keyboard Lounge.
Highlights
- "Scorpio" (1971): No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, gold record
- Guitar on "Cloud Nine", "Ball of Confusion" and "War"
- First white artist to perform on Soul Train (1972)
- Played on Rodriguez's Cold Fact (1970)
- Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame 2010 and 2018
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Recorded here · late 1960s–1972
Motown Museum
Played on Motown sessions in Studio A, the basement room the musicians nicknamed the "Snake Pit".
Performed here · 2000s–2010s
Baker's Keyboard Lounge
He performed regularly at Detroit's oldest jazz club.