Charles Curtis Berghofer (born June 14, 1937) is an American double bassist and electric bassist, who has worked injazz and as asession musician in the film industry for more than 60 years,^[1] including working on more than 400 movie soundtracks.^[2][3]

Chuck Berghofer was born inDenver, Colorado, and moved with his family toArcadia, California when he was eight.^[4] With a lineage of musicians in the family (his grandfather had played withJohn Philip Sousa, and his uncle played tuba with theSaint Louis Symphony),^[5] Berghofer took interest in music at an early age, playing trumpet at the age of eight. He also played thetuba in grade school and high school until moving to the double bass at the age of 18. As a young adult, as he began venturing out to jazz night clubs, he came to admire bassistRalph Peña and was able to persuade Peña to take him on as a student.^[2][5]

According to Berghofer, he always felt as though his music was heavily influenced byLeroy Vinnegar,Paul Chambers andRay Brown. He also admired the work ofScott LaFaro and told musician and journalist Gordon Jack, "The best soloist on the instrument wasRed Mitchell ... I loved to hear him solo."^[2]

Two years after he took up the bass, Berghofer, joined anorchestra, led bySkinnay Ennis for a tour of the midwest^[6] and then joined withBobby Troup.^[5] As his career progressed he eventually replaced his former tutor, Peña, in a duo withPete Jolly, which later expanded into a trio with the addition of drummer Nick Martinis.^[7] In the 1960s he became a member ofShelly Manne's band,^[5] taking on a bassist position at Manne's night club Shelly's Manne-Hole, and had the opportunity to play alongside numerous leading jazz musicians of the era, includingJack Sheldon,Conte Candoli,Frank Rosolino,Rahsaan Roland Kirk andPhilly Joe Jones.^[2] During this time, he also recorded with popular singers such asElvis Presley andThe Everly Brothers.^[8]

He was a member of the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra around 1967 whenFrank Zappa recorded the orchestral parts for Lumpy Gravy.^[9]

With his lengthy career in film, Berghofer was also quite accomplished as a house jazz musician. He formed a semi-regular house band at Donte's inLos Angeles with pianistFrank Strazzeri and drummerNick Ceroli and was videotaped playing withRoger Kellaway and drummerLarry Bunker as they backedZoot Sims.^[2] Among others he accompanied wereRay Charles,Bob Cooper,Ella Fitzgerald,Stan Getz,Peggy Lee, Shelly Manne,Gerry Mulligan,Art Pepper, Frank Rosolino,Seth MacFarlane, andFrank Sinatra.^[5]

In 2019, Berghofer, along with fellow Wrecking Crew membersDon Randi and Don Peake and in conjunction with Denny Tedesco (producer and director of the 2008 filmThe Wrecking Crew), performed around the Los Angeles area with theirThe Wrecking Crew's Farewell to Glen Campbell live shows.^[10]

As Berghofer made his career as ajazz musician, he landed a prominent role recording withNancy Sinatra in "These Boots Are Made For Walkin". He also worked on television withGlen Campbell, recorded with Frank Sinatra, and played withBarbra Streisand, in which they did a recording ofFunny Lady. His extensive film work led to his being awarded in the mid-1980s theNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Award as the most valuable bass player for four consecutive years. In that decade he recorded withMel Tormé and later recorded again with Sinatra onDuets.^[2] During his career, Berghofer has performed on over 400 movie soundtracks. Just a few of the films he has worked on includeRocky II (1979),TheMajestic (2001),Sing (2016), andClint Eastwood'sBird (1988). He also worked on such television shows asBarney Miller (on which he played the opening bassline),Charlie's Angels,The Carol Burnett Show,The Simpsons andStar Trek: Enterprise.^[11] His bassline onBarney Miller inspiredCliff Burton to learn how to play bass.^[12]

An incomplete list of his music and film credits.

• Jazz
• List of jazz bassists
• List of jazz musicians

• Chuck Berghofer Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2016)

• 1937 births
• Living people
• Musicians from Denver
• American male guitarists
• West Coast jazz double-bassists
• American jazz double-bassists
• American male double-bassists
• Guitarists from Colorado
• 20th-century American guitarists
• Jazz musicians from Colorado
• 21st-century American double-bassists
• 20th-century American male musicians
• 21st-century American male musicians
• American male jazz musicians
• The Capp-Pierce Juggernaut members
• The Wrecking Crew (music) members
• 20th-century American double-bassists
• 21st-century American guitarists

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