Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins, a founding member of influential music collective Parliament-Funkadelic, has died. He was 81.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame
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Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame
Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins, a founding member of influential music collective Parliament-Funkadelic, has died. He was 81.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame
Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins, a founding member of influential music collective Parliament-Funkadelic, has died. He was 81.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, which Haskins was inducted into along with other core members of Parliament-Funkadelic in 1997, confirmed the death to NPR in a statement.
Born in Elkins, WV in 1941, Haskins began singing in New Jersey in the 1950s and ’60s in the doo-wop vocal quintet The Parliaments.
Named after the American brand of cigarettes and led by charismatic musician and producer George Clinton, the group didn’t have much success until they landed a hit in 1967 with “I Wanna Testify.”
After her small Detroit record label disbanded, Clinton teamed up with The Parliaments and a group called Funkadelic. The music collective that would eventually become known as Parliament-Funkadelic, or P-Funk, had a major impact on the R&B and funk scenes of the 1970s.
According to his biography on Clinton’s website, “He was known for donning skintight bodysuits at live P-Funk shows and twirling against the mic pole while whipping the crowd into a frenzy, especially when they were performing ‘Standing on the Verge.’ to attract.’ “
“Parliament-Funkadelic kept pushing the boundaries on classic albums connection to the mother ship And brain of a maggotand set a futuristic pace for black music,” said Rock & Roll Hall of Fame spokeswoman Dawn Wayt.
Beginning in the mid-1970s, Haskins developed a solo career, but has continued to perform and record with various P-Funk members over the years.
P-Funk member Bootsy Collins paid tribute to Haskins in an email to NPR. Collins said:
“Fuzzy wasn’t just a talented singer and musician, he was a leader and a team player. He was always a light at the party, shows or wherever he went.
He commanded attention on and off stage.
Not in a boastful way, just his natural werewolf self. He could have played the wolfman. That was an inside joke that spread through the atmosphere.
It was so much fun hanging out with Fuzzy. But on stage, he devoted his full attention to entertaining the audience.
He was devoted to his family and friends, but anyone who knew Fuzzy knows he’d give you the shirt off his back. He will be greatly missed. RIP my friend.”