Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins singer and original member of Parliament-Funkadelic and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame dies aged 81
P-Funk mastermind George Clinton announced Haskins’ death Saturday on social media. No cause of death was identified.
“We regret to announce the passing of original Funkadelic Member of Parliament Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins (born June 8, 1941 – March 17, 2023),” Clinton wrote.
Haskins’ former bandmate Bootsy Collins. Tweet, “Prayers to the family and friends of Clarence ‘Fuzzys’ Haskins. We lost his frequency today 3-17-23. He is a traditional Congressional/Funkadelic. To be inducted into RHOF, we will miss my friends, bandmates and brother! Thanks for the advice in my puppy years. Damn boy!!!”
Haskins’ tenure with P-Funk dates back to when he and Clinton were members of the sixties vocal group Congress, which – due to the folding of their record label – eventually transformed into Funkadelic and. Parliament
“Fuzzy wrote and co-wrote some of the early classics. of funkadelik, including ‘I Got A Thing’ (featuring his vocals) and ‘I Wanna Know If It’s Good To You,’” Clinton’s website wrote of Haskins.
“He’s a good drummer as well. As he proved it in ‘Can You Get To That’ which he also co-wrote. Some of Fuzzy’s best vocals appear on Funkadelic’s 1972 LP. america eats childrenmost prominently in ‘Ms Lucifers Love’, but singing isn’t the only thing Fuzzy brings to P-Funk. He wore a skintight leotard and spun against a microphone pole as he whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Especially when they performed ‘Standing on the Verge of Getting it On.’”
Haskins and his “Brendy Octave Vocals” remained full-time members of the Funkadelic until 1976. Jollies Hardcoreand was a Member of Parliament until 1976 A clone of Dr. Funkenstein.. After releasing his own solo album both thangHaskins briefly rejoined P-Funk for their 1977 tour (recorded in Live: P-Funk Earth Tour) before dispersing for good later that year. “By this time, he claimed that he had sung dirty songs and had begun studying the word of God,” Clinton’s website says.
In later years, Haskins became a preacher. But he remained in the P-Funk orbit: he and fellow founding but former Funkadelic Congressman Calvin Simon (who died in 2022), Ray Davis and Grady Thomas performed together as Original P, which is the title. which the group adopted after losing a lawsuit against Clinton over the Funkadelic name; Haskins, Simon and Thomas — known as Funkadelic — released the villain. Connecting and Disconnecting In 1981, it resulted in the Clinton case.
Despite the legal troubles, Haskins is one of 15 members of the Parliament-Funkadelic. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, Haskins also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys in 2019 for his contributions to P-Funk.
