Jack Bruce (born John Symon Asher Bruce; May 14, 1943 – October 25, 2014) was a Scottish musician, singer, songwriter, and composer, widely regarded as one of the greatest bassists in rock history.
Born in Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, Scotland, he grew up in a musical family and showed prodigious talent early on. By age 10 he was winning classical singing contests, at 12 composing string quartets and improvising on piano. He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now Royal Conservatoire of Scotland) but left to pursue jazz, heavily influenced by artists like Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus. He began his professional career as a jazz bassist around age 18.
In the early 1960s, Bruce played with various blues and jazz groups, including the Graham Bond Organisation (where he met drummer Ginger Baker). He later joined John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers briefly and Manfred Mann before co-founding the groundbreaking power trio Cream in 1966 with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker.
With Cream, Bruce was the primary lead vocalist, main songwriter (often with lyricist Pete Brown), and innovative bassist. The band became one of the first supergroups, blending blues, rock, psychedelia, and improvisation. Hits he co-wrote and sang include “I Feel Free”, “Sunshine of Your Love”, “White Room”, and “Crossroads”. Cream disbanded in 1968 after intense internal tensions.
After Cream, Bruce pursued a diverse solo career and collaborations, releasing his debut solo album Songs for a Tailor (1969) and many others across jazz-rock, progressive, and experimental styles. He worked with musicians like Tony Williams, Carla Bley, John McLaughlin, and later formed bands like the Jack Bruce Band and West, Bruce and Laing. Despite health struggles—including heroin addiction, a failed liver transplant, and other issues—he continued performing and recording into the 2010s.
Bruce died of liver disease on October 25, 2014, in Sudbury, Suffolk, England, at age 71. He is remembered as a multi-instrumentalist (also playing cello, harmonica, piano, and more), a powerful vocalist, and a pioneering force who helped elevate the electric bass from rhythm to lead instrument in rock music.
