Victor Bailey (musician)

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Victor Bailey

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| image = Victor Bailey.jpg

| landscape = yes

| caption = Bailey in 2008

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1960|3|27}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| origin =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2016|11|11|1960|3|27}}

| death_place = Stafford, Virginia, U.S.

| genre = Jazz, jazz fusion, pop

| occupation = Musician

| instrument = Bass

| years_active = 1980–2016

| label = Atlantic, Zebra, ESC, Chesky

| past_member_of = Weather Report

}}

Victor Bailey (March 27, 1960 – November 11, 2016) was an American bass guitar player.

{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/08/AR2007020800541.html|title=CBW: Larry Coryell/Victor Bailey/Lenny White "Traffic" Chesky|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 16, 2008|date=February 9, 2007}} He was the bassist for Weather Report during their final years from 1982 to 1986, and launched a solo career in 1988. As a musician, Bailey was known for his signature scat-bass solos.{{cite book|author=Harris M. Lentz III|title= Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2016|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EZEwDwAAQBAJ&q=Victor+Bailey+died+Charcot+disease&pg=PT38|page=24|year=2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-476-67031-7}}

Biography

Born in Philadelphia, on 27 March 1960, Victor Randall Bailey was raised by a highly musical family. His father, Morris Bailey Jr., was an active musician and composer, while his uncle, Donald "Duck" Bailey, was a jazz drummer, who played on numerous Blue Note records (e.g., Jimmy Smith Trio, Hampton Hawes, Carmen McRae, Dizzy Gillespie).{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=378823668915602&set=a.104925972972041.5057.100003639155415&type=3&theater|title = Passing of Donald Bailey| website=Facebook |access-date= 12 November 2016}} As a child, Bailey played the drums, but ultimately switched to bass guitar after the bassist in his neighborhood band walked out of a band practice. Because young Victor took an immediate liking to the instrument, his father encouraged him to become a bass player.{{cite web|url=http://www.victorbailey.com/bio.html|title = Biography|access-date=12 November 2016}} Beginning in 1978, at the age of 18, Bailey attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston after being disqualified from naval service due to asthma.{{Cite web|url=http://forbassplayersonly.com/interview-victor-bailey/|title=Interview with bass player Victor Bailey|date=2010-02-15|website=For Bass Players Only|language=en-US|access-date=2016-04-26}}

Like his father, Bailey suffered from Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease for most of his adult life. As the disease progressed, Bailey began using a cane to offset his weakened legs. The weakness finally spread to his upper body, necessitating his 2015 retirement from performing and from his teaching position at Berklee College of Music.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/victor.bailey.7165/posts/707614029369896|title=Victor Bailey|website=Facebook |date=October 30, 2015|access-date=November 1, 2015}} He died on 11 November 2016 in Stafford, VA,{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherreportdiscography.org/victor-bailey-rip/|website=VictorBailey.com|access-date=12 November 2016|title=Victor Bailey, RIP|date=11 November 2016 }} likely from complications from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease).{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/victor.bailey.7165/posts/862799117184719 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/100003639155415/862799117184719 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|title=Health Update, Sept. 27th 2016|website=Facebook | access-date=12 November 2016}}{{cbignore}}

Bailey played a 1986 Pensa-Suhr J-4 koa bass and a fretless Ibanez Roadstar among others. His instruments were auctioned by Skinner. The J-4 sold for $10,455 US[https://www.skinnerinc.com/auctions/3007B/lots/34 1986 Pensa-Suhr J-4 koa] Bailey had a series of remarkable contributions{{Ambiguous|date=August 2024}} as the main bassist for American jazz fusion band Weather Report, for which he played on four of their studio albums between 1983 and 1986.

Fender released a Victor Bailey Signature acoustic bass guitar,{{cite web|title=Gear and equipment|website=Victor Bailey|url=http://www.victorbailey.com/gear.html|ref={{sfnref|www.victorbailey.com}}|access-date=July 9, 2014}} as well as the Victor Bailey Jazz Bass (Artist series), available in 4, 5-string, fretted and fretless versions.{{Citation|last=Fender|title=Fender® Victor Bailey Signature Basses|date=2008-03-05|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRZeKV8aNoY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/YRZeKV8aNoY |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|access-date=2016-04-26}}{{cbignore}} Bailey also used Markbass amplifiers.{{cite web |title=MARKBASS - Victor Bailey |url=http://www.markbass.it/artist-detail/victor-bailey/ |website=MARKBASS Bass Amplification |language=en}}

Discography

= As leader/co-leader =

Bottom's Up (Atlantic, 1989)
Petite Blonde with Dennis Chambers, Mitch Forman, Chuck Loeb, and Bill Evans (Lipstick , 1992)
Low Blow (Zebra, 1999)
That's Right! (ESC, 2001)
Electric with Larry Coryell and Lenny White (Chesky, 2005)
Traffic with Larry Coryell and Lenny White (Chesky, 2006)
Slippin' 'n' Trippin' (Studio V Productions, 2009)