query issue

I've been trying to nut this error out for the last three days to no
success. Here's the code:

$usern = "myusername";
$passw = "mypassword";
$db="mydatabase";


$link2 = @mysql_connect("localhost", $usern, $passw);
if (! $link2) {
die("Connect error.");


}


mysql_select_db($db) or die("DB Select error");

$status = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM members WHERE usern='$user'");


while ($display = mysql_fetch_array($status)) {


print $display['usern'];



}


mysql_close($link2);

(Obviously Ive change the real database name, user and password, but
rest assured the real ones are correct - this i have triple and
quadruple checked)


On a whim I changed the $status variable to:
$status = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM members WHERE usern='$user'") or
die (mysql_error());
and was given this error:


Access denied for user 'myusername@localhost' (Using password: NO)


This is what confuses me - why isn't it recognising the use of
password? All help appreciated.

.