Bryan Bassett
The guitarist whose funky, wah-wah infused riff launched Wild Cherry's 'Play That Funky Music' into a timeless party anthem.
Born 1954 (age 72)·American guitarist·Birthday: August 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Bryan Bassett's guitar work is the instantly recognizable engine of one of the 1970s' most enduring hits. A skilled musician from western Pennsylvania, he cut his teeth in the rock band Smoke before joining the Pittsburgh-based Wild Cherry in 1975. The band, named after a box of cough drops, was struggling to find its sound when a dare from a club audience—'play that funky music, white boy'—inspired frontman Rob Parissi to write the song. Bassett's contribution was pivotal: he crafted the song's iconic, chattering wah-wah guitar intro and the tight, rhythmic riff that drives the entire track. Released in 1976, 'Play That Funky Music' exploded, topping the Billboard charts and defining the disco-rock fusion era. After Wild Cherry's success waned, Bassett demonstrated remarkable versatility, joining the Southern rock outfit Molly Hatchet in the 1980s and later becoming a longtime member of the classic rock band Foghat, where his bluesy, precise playing has anchored their sound for decades. His career is a study in adaptability, moving seamlessly between funk, rock, and blues.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Bryan was born in 1954, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bryan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1954
#1 Movie
White Christmas
Best Picture
On the Waterfront
#1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Bryan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1954Born
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1959Started school
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1967Became a teenager
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Could drive
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1972Could vote
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Turned 21
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1984Turned 30
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 40
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 50
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 60
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 70
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 72 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and performed the iconic guitar parts on Wild Cherry's 'Play That Funky Music,' which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976.
- Has been the lead guitarist for the rock band Foghat since 1999, contributing to multiple studio albums and maintaining their classic rock sound on tour.
- Played guitar for the Southern rock band Molly Hatchet during the 1980s, appearing on their album 'No Guts...No Glory.'
- His work with Wild Cherry helped the single 'Play That Funky Music' sell over two million copies, earning a RIAA platinum certification.
Did You Know?
The famous guitar riff in 'Play That Funky Music' was played on a Fender Stratocaster through a CryBaby wah-wah pedal.
Before joining Wild Cherry, he was in a band called Smoke, which opened for major acts like The Who and Three Dog Night.
He is known for using a talk box effect on stage with Foghat during their performance of 'Slow Ride.'
Bassett is a left-handed guitarist but plays a right-handed guitar flipped upside down, similar to musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Dick Dale.
“You have to play that riff like it's the only thing you know how to do.”
