Clarence ‘Fuzzy’ Haskins, Parliament-Funkadelic Original Member, Passes Away at 81 

Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins, an initial member of Parliament-Funkadelic, has actually passed away. He was 81.

P-Funk frontman/producer George Clinton revealed the vocalist and Rock-and-roll Hall of Popularity conscript’s death through social networks on Friday (March 17). A cause of death was not offered.

” We are distressed to reveal the death of an initial Parliament Funkadelic member Clarence Eugene ‘Fuzzy’ Haskins (born June 8, 1941-March 17th, 2023),” Clinton composed on Instagram along with pictures of Haskins. He included a Facebook post, “Quit the Fuzz, Fly on.”

Previous Parliament-Funkadelic member Bootsy Collins likewise commemorated his previous bandmate on Twitter.

” Prayer’s heading out to Clarence ‘Fuzzys’ Haskins household & & buddies. We lost his frequency today 3-17- 23,” Collins wrote on Friday. “He was an initial Parliament/Funkadelic inducted in the RHOF. We will miss out on u my good friend, bandmate & & Soul sibling! Thx u for ur assistance in my puppy year’s. Bootsy infant!!”

Born in 1941 in West Virginia, Haskins belonged to the Gel-Airs prior to signing up with group initially referred to as the Parliaments, very first formed in the 1960s as a doo-wop quintet with Clinton, Calvin Simon, Grady Thomas and Ray Davis. The group that later on ended up being referred to as Parliament-Funkadelic.

Haskins is credited for his contributions to P-Funk tracks like “I Got a Thing” and “I Wan na Know If It’s Excellent to You,” according to a post about Haskins on Clinton’s website.

” He was an excellent drummer also, as he showed on ‘Can You Get to That,’ which he likewise co-wrote,” Clinton’s website states. “A few of Fuzzy’s finest vocals appeared on Funkadelic’s 1972 LP America Consumes Its Young, most significantly on ‘Ms Lucifers Love.’ However singing wasn’t the only thing that Fuzzy gave P-Funk. He was understood, throughout live P-Funk programs, to put on skin-tight bodysuits and gyrate versus the microphone pole as he whipped the crowd into a craze, specifically when they carried out ‘Basing on the Edge of Getting it On.'”

Haskins stayed a full-time member of P-Funk through the late 1970s. He launched his very first solo album, An Entire Nother Thang, in 1976 through Westbound Records. The set included partnerships with Bernie Worrell, Donald Austin and Collins. Haskins dropped his 2nd solo album, Radio Active, in 1978.

Haskins quickly rejoined Parliament-Funkadelic for the group’s P-Funk Live Earth Trip in 1977 prior to leaving the group once again for excellent. “By this time, he declared he was through with singing all the ole unclean tunes and started studying the Lord’s Word,” Clinton’s website states.

In 1981, Haskins signed up with previous P-Funk members Simon, Davis and Thomas to launch the Links & & Disconnections album under the Funkadelic name, which triggered a suit by Clinton. In his later years, Haskins ended up being a preacher and taped gospel music.

In addition to other members of Parliament-Funkadelic, Haskins was inducted by Prince into the Rock-and-roll Hall of Popularity in 1997.

” Funk is a force that tore the roofing off the sucker that is modern-day music,” Prince stated in their Rock Hall intro.

Clinton and the other members of Parliament-Funkadelic got a life time accomplishment award from the Recording Academy in 2019.