Parliament-Funkadelic singer Clarence ‘Fuzzy’ Haskins dies at 81 : NPR

Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins, an authentic member of the influential musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic, has died. He was 81.

Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame

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Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame

Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins, an authentic member of the influential musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic, has died. He was 81.

Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame

Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins, an authentic member of the influential musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic, has died. He was 81.

The Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame, which inducted Haskins together with different core Parliament-Funkadelic members in 1997, confirmed the dying to NPR in a assertion.

Born in Elkins, W.V., in 1941, Haskins began out singing within the Fifties and ’60s in New Jersey within the doo-wop vocal quintet The Parliaments.

Named after the American cigarette model and led by charismatic musician and producer George Clinton, the group did not obtain nice success till they scored a success in 1967 with “I Wanna Testify.”

After their small Detroit document label dissolved, Clinton teamed The Parliaments up with a bunch known as Funkadelic. Finally often called Parliament-Funkadelic or P-Funk, the musical collective made a huge impact on the Seventies R&B and funk scenes.

In line with his biography on Clinton’s web site, “He was recognized, throughout reside P-Funk exhibits, to don skin-tight bodysuits and gyrate towards the microphone pole as he whipped the group right into a frenzy, particularly once they carried out ‘Standing on the Verge of Getting It On.’ “

“Parliament-Funkadelic pushed boundaries additional and additional on basic albums like Mothership Connection and Maggot Mind, and set a futuristic tempo for Black music,” stated Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame spokesperson Daybreak Wayt. “However Clarence ‘Fuzzy’ Haskins stored issues linked to their avenue nook concord roots.”

Beginning within the mid-Seventies Haskins developed a solo profession, however continued to carry out and document with varied P-Funk members on and off through the years.

P-Funk member Bootsy Collins paid tribute to Haskins in an e-mail to NPR. Collins stated:

“Fuzzy was not solely a gifted singer & musician, he was a frontrunner & group participant. He was at all times a light-weight on the social gathering, the exhibits or wherever he would go.
He commanded consideration on stage & off.

Not in a boastful manner, however simply being his pure Werewolf self. He may have performed the Wolfman. That was an inside joke that received on the market within the environment.

Fuzzy was a lot enjoyable to hang around with. However on stage is the place he gave his full consideration to entertaining the viewers.

He was devoted to his household & associates however anyone that knew Fuzzy is aware of that he would give u the shirt off his again. He shall be missed dearly. R.I.P. my buddy.”