Post by 1finemrg on Mar 18, 2023 20:09:22 GMT -5
Vocalist Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, an original member of the Parliaments and Parliament/Funkadelic passed away March 17 at the age of 81.
He began with George Clinton in the late fifties as a member of the Parliaments. At the time. they were a doo-wop group that originated as a barbershop quintet in Plainfield, New Jersey. They would travel to Detroit on the weekends with the hopes of auditioning for Motown. They released singles on several local Detroit labels. In 1967, the Parliaments reached #3 on the Billboard R&B charts (#20 Hot 100) with "(I Wanna) Testify" on the Revilot label. George Clinton actually recorded the song with a group called the Holidays; the other members did not make it to Detroit the weekend of the recording. The follow-up single "All Your Goodies Are Gone" reached #21 R&B/#80 Hot 100. Revilot eventually went out of business, George losing the rights to the Parliaments name in the process.
The group rebranded as Funkadelic in the early seventies. After minor R&B success on the Holland-Dozier-Holland Invictus label, Funkadelic signed with Westbound records and have a run of psychedelic tinged R&B hits during the seventies. In the mid-seventies, George regained the naming rights to the Parliaments and signed with Casablanca records releasing funk based R&B under the name Parliament. Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins was a member of both groups. His skin-tight body suits and octave vocals were a concert highlight.
Fuzzy Haskins along with several members of P-Funk splintered from the group over financial and management disputes with George Clinton. He had released a solo album "A Whole Nother Thang" in 1976, and would release "Radio Active" in 1978.
He was a part of a Funkadelic 1981 release "Connections & Disconnections" sans George Clinton. He toured with Original P in the 1990s, a group featuring 4 of the 5 original Parliaments.
Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins entered the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame as part of Parliament-Funkadelic in 1997. They received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2019.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of an original Parliament Funkadelic member Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins (born June 8, 1941-March 17th, 2023),” Clinton wrote.
Haskins’ former band mate Bootsy Collins tweeted, “Prayer’s going out to Clarence ‘Fuzzys’ Haskins family & friends. We lost his frequency today 3-17-23. He was an original Parliament/Funkadelic inducted in the RHOF.
We will miss u my friend, bandmate & Soul brother! Thx u for ur guidance in my pup year’s. Bootsy baby!!!”
Obituary
He began with George Clinton in the late fifties as a member of the Parliaments. At the time. they were a doo-wop group that originated as a barbershop quintet in Plainfield, New Jersey. They would travel to Detroit on the weekends with the hopes of auditioning for Motown. They released singles on several local Detroit labels. In 1967, the Parliaments reached #3 on the Billboard R&B charts (#20 Hot 100) with "(I Wanna) Testify" on the Revilot label. George Clinton actually recorded the song with a group called the Holidays; the other members did not make it to Detroit the weekend of the recording. The follow-up single "All Your Goodies Are Gone" reached #21 R&B/#80 Hot 100. Revilot eventually went out of business, George losing the rights to the Parliaments name in the process.
The group rebranded as Funkadelic in the early seventies. After minor R&B success on the Holland-Dozier-Holland Invictus label, Funkadelic signed with Westbound records and have a run of psychedelic tinged R&B hits during the seventies. In the mid-seventies, George regained the naming rights to the Parliaments and signed with Casablanca records releasing funk based R&B under the name Parliament. Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins was a member of both groups. His skin-tight body suits and octave vocals were a concert highlight.
Fuzzy Haskins along with several members of P-Funk splintered from the group over financial and management disputes with George Clinton. He had released a solo album "A Whole Nother Thang" in 1976, and would release "Radio Active" in 1978.
He was a part of a Funkadelic 1981 release "Connections & Disconnections" sans George Clinton. He toured with Original P in the 1990s, a group featuring 4 of the 5 original Parliaments.
Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins entered the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame as part of Parliament-Funkadelic in 1997. They received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2019.
“We are saddened to announce the passing of an original Parliament Funkadelic member Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins (born June 8, 1941-March 17th, 2023),” Clinton wrote.
Haskins’ former band mate Bootsy Collins tweeted, “Prayer’s going out to Clarence ‘Fuzzys’ Haskins family & friends. We lost his frequency today 3-17-23. He was an original Parliament/Funkadelic inducted in the RHOF.
We will miss u my friend, bandmate & Soul brother! Thx u for ur guidance in my pup year’s. Bootsy baby!!!”
Obituary