6 Questions For Studio Bassist Paul Ill

Today is the first installment of a new weekly feature called "6 Questions."  We'll ask 6 Questions of someone in the music industry and get some insight to various sides of the business.

The first one is with studio bassist extraordinaire Paul Ill. Paul has a list of record and touring credits and mile long, including Tina Turner, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Courtney Love, James Blunt, Daniel Powter and many more.

1) What was your big break?
My "big break" was being born into a very supportive family with an extremely musically talented older sister. That prepared me to meet drummer/songwriter Brain MacLeod. He introduced me to Linda Perry, to whom I owe most of my success.

2) What makes you unique?
Honestly, I'm not that special. But what I bring to the table is this: I really am genuinely enthusiastic about creating music and I really love playing bass. I do my best to play bass in the spirit of Jerry Jemmott with Atlantic, Duck Dunn with Stax, James Jamerson with Motown, David Hood with the Fame "Swamp Rats", John Paul Jones with Led Zeppelin, Doug Wimbush with Tackhead and the Sugarhill Gang, and Sir Paul McCartney with The Beatles. I grew up on Army basses playing in Soul and Psychedelic Hard Rock bands and I have been playing music virtually non-stop since I was 12. I am also a songwriter, composer and producer, and thanks to my supportive family, I have a Bachelor of Music Composition degree from Berklee College of Music. I do my best to combine all these musical and life experiences, and remain willing to access these experiences on behalf of whoever I am working with in the moment.

3) Who was your biggest influence?
My sister Paula.

4) What's the best thing about your job?
It's fun, it makes people feel good and it makes the world a better place.

5) When and where were you the happiest?
Right here, right now.

6) What's the best piece of advice you ever received?
Trust God, clean house, help others.