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

Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins, one of the original members of the influential musical group Parliament-Funkadelic, has died. He was 81 years old.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which inducted Haskins along with other core MPs and Funkadelic in 1997, confirmed NPR’s death in a statement.

Haskins was born in Elkins, West Virginia in 1941. He began singing in the 1950s and 60s in New Jersey with The Parliaments vocal quintet.

Named after an American cigarette brand and fronted by charismatic musician and producer George Clinton, the group had little success until hitting “I Wanna Testify” in 1967.

After their small Detroit label disbanded, Clinton merged The Parliaments with a group called Funkadelic. Eventually known as Parliament-Funkadelic or P-Funk, the band was a major influence on the R&B and funk scenes of the 1970s.

According to his biography on Clinton’s website, “During P-Funk’s live performances, he was known to wear skin-tight bodysuits and spin around the microphone stand, driving the crowd into a frenzy, especially when they performed “Standing on the Verge.” about how to do it. “

“Parliament-Funkadelic has been pushing the boundaries of classic albums more and more, such as Communication with the mother ship And brain of a larvaand set a futuristic pace for black music,” said Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Dawn Waite. “But Clarence ‘Fluffy’ Haskins has retained a connection to their street corner harmony roots.”

Beginning in the mid-1970s, Haskins began a solo career, but continued to perform and record with various members of P-Funk over the years.

P-Funk member Bootsy Collins paid tribute to Haskins on social media. “We lost his frequency today,” the musician wrote on Twitter. “We will miss you my friend, bandmate and soul mate.”