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

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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

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

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 successful in 1967 with “I Wanna Testify.”

After their small Detroit file label dissolved, Clinton teamed The Parliaments up with a bunch referred to as Funkadelic. Eventually generally known as Parliament-Funkadelic or P-Funk, the musical collective made a big effect on the Nineteen Seventies R&B and funk scenes.

According to his biography on Clinton’s web site, “He was known, during live P-Funk shows, to don skin-tight bodysuits and gyrate against the microphone pole as he whipped the crowd into a frenzy, especially when they performed ‘Standing on the Verge of Getting It On.’ “

“Parliament-Funkadelic pushed boundaries further and further on classic albums like Mothership Connection and Maggot Brain, and set a futuristic pace for Black music,” stated Rock & Roll Hall of Fame spokesperson Dawn Wayt. “But Clarence ‘Fuzzy’ Haskins kept things connected to their street corner harmony roots.”

Starting within the mid-Nineteen Seventies Haskins developed a solo profession, however continued to carry out and file with numerous P-Funk members on and off over time.

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

“Fuzzy was not only a talented singer & musician, he was a leader & team player. He was always a light at the party, the shows or wherever he would go.
He commanded attention on stage & off.

Not in a boastful way, but just being his natural Werewolf self. He could have played the Wolfman. That was an inside joke that got out there in the atmosphere.

Fuzzy was so much fun to hang out with. But on stage is where he gave his full attention to entertaining the audience.

He was dedicated to his family & friends but anybody that knew Fuzzy knows that he would give u the shirt off his back. He will be missed dearly. R.I.P. my friend.”