Editing Parliament-Funkadelic (section)

== Key members ==
[[File:George Clinton in Centreville.jpg|thumb|Clinton performing in Centreville, Virginia, 2007]]
'''[[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]]''' (band leader, vocals, songwriter, producer; born July 22, 1941). 
George Clinton has been, since its inception, the driving force behind the development of the P-Funk sound, having led the collective since forming [[The Parliaments]] as a doo-wop group in the late 1950s. The funk sound, socially conscious lyrics, and [[P-Funk mythology]] developed primarily by Clinton have been especially influential for later R&B, hip hop, and rock music.

'''[[Bernie Worrell]]''' (keyboards, vocals, songwriter, arranger; producer; April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016).
Bernie Worrell officially joined [[Funkadelic]] after the release of their first album and became an integral member of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective thereafter. His classical training on piano and innovative use of [[synthesizer]]s has proven to be extremely influential, particularly his pioneering use of the [[Moog synthesizer]], which replaced the conventional electric bass on songs like "[[Flash Light (song)|Flash Light]]" and "[[Aqua Boogie]]". He was responsible for many P-Funk rhythm and (with trombonist Fred Wesley) horn arrangements. Worrell left the band in 1981, but continued to contribute to P-Funk studio albums and occasionally appear live with Parliament-Funkadelic as a special guest.

'''[[Bootsy Collins|William "Bootsy" Collins]]''' (bass guitar, vocals, drums, songwriter, producer; born October 26, 1951).
Bootsy Collins was a major songwriter, rhythm arranger, and bassist for Parliament-Funkadelic during the 1970s and was a major influence in the band's sound during that time. His style of bass playing has become especially influential. Collins later focused his attention on his own [[Bootsy's Rubber Band]] but continues to make occasional contributions to studio albums by members of the Parliament-Funkadelic collective.

'''[[Eddie Hazel]]''' (guitar, vocals, songwriter; April 10, 1950 – December 23, 1992).
Eddie Hazel was the original lead guitarist for [[Funkadelic]] and was a major force on the first several albums by that group. His [[Jimi Hendrix|Hendrix]]-inspired style has become very influential. After the early 1970s, he contributed sporadically to various Parliament-Funkadelic projects. A key early Funkadelic song that captured both the band's unique sound and Hazel's talent was the ten-minute guitar solo "[[Maggot Brain (song)|Maggot Brain]]" from the 1971 Funkadelic album of the [[Maggot Brain|same title]].

'''[[Maceo Parker]]''' (saxophone; born February 14, 1943).
Maceo joined [[James Brown]]'s band with brother Melvin Parker in 1964. In 1970, Parker, his brother Melvin, and a few of Brown's band members left to establish the band Maceo & All the King's Men, which toured for two years.
In January 1973, Parker rejoined with James Brown. He also charted a single "Parrty – Part I" (#71 pop singles) with Maceo & the Macks that year. In 1975, Parker and some of Brown's band members, including Fred Wesley, left to join George Clinton's band Parliament-Funkadelic.

'''[[Walter Morrison|Walter "Junie" Morrison]]''' (keyboards, multi-instrumentalist, vocals, songwriter, arranger, producer; born June 28, 1954 – January 21, 2017 ).
Junie Morrison joined P-Funk in early 1978 as musical director after having success in the early [[Ohio Players]] and as a solo artist. Though primarily a keyboardist, Junie composed or co-wrote several of the band's hits at the height of their popularity and served as a lead vocalist, producer, and arranger on many songs for the collective. Morrison stopped touring with the band after 1981, but contributed to many subsequent albums. During his time with P-funk, some of his work was credited under the name J.S. Theracon.

'''[[Garry Shider|Garry "Diaperman" Shider]]''' (vocals, guitar; July 24, 1953 – June 16, 2010).
As a child, Garry Shider was a customer at the barbershop where [[The Parliaments]] rehearsed and performed, and after some time with his own group United Soul, he was recruited by George Clinton into Funkadelic in 1972. Shider became a frequent lead vocalist on several Parliament and Funkadelic albums and along with his "gospel" vocal and guitar style, was most recognized for wearing his trademark hotel-towel "diaper".

'''[[Michael Hampton|Michael "Kidd Funkadelic" Hampton]]''' (guitar; born November 15, 1956).
Mike Hampton has been the lead guitarist for P-Funk since 1973, when he was recruited at age 17 to replace Eddie Hazel, after an impromptu performance of Hazel's signature song "Maggot Brain". Hampton is known for his advancement of rock and heavy metal guitar used by Parliament-Funkadelic and later the P-Funk All Stars, leaving the collective in 2015.

'''[[Glenn Goins]]''' (vocals, guitar; January 2, 1954 – July 29, 1978).
Glenn Goins was recruited into Parliament-Funkadelic in 1975 and was an important contributor, and like bandmate Garry Shider, was known for his "gospel" singing and guitar style. In 1978, Goins and bandmate Jerome Brailey departed acrimoniously, and immediately began recording and producing a new band, [[Quazar_(album)|Quazar]], featuring his younger brother Kevin Goins. Shortly after his departure, Goins died from [[Hodgkin's lymphoma]] at age 24.

'''[[Jerome Brailey|Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey]]''' (drums and percussion; born August 20, 1950).
Brailey was the most prominent drummer in the Parliament-Funkadelic collective during their period of greatest success in the mid-to-late 1970s. Brailey (and bandmate Glenn Goins) left the collective acrimoniously, forming his own band [[Jerome Brailey|Mutiny]], in which he criticized George Clinton's management style.

'''[[Tiki Fulwood|Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood]]''' (drums, vocals; May 23, 1944 – October 29, 1979).
Tiki Fulwood was the original drummer for Funkadelic. He originally quit the band in 1971 but reappeared on several Parliament-Funkadelic releases during the remainder of the 1970s. After also working briefly for [[Miles Davis]], Fulwood died of cancer in 1979.

'''[[Billy Bass Nelson|"Billy Bass" Nelson]]''' (bass, guitar; born January 28, 1951).
Billy Nelson was a teenage employee at George Clinton's barbershop in the 1960s and was the first musician hired to back [[The Parliaments]] in the band that would eventually become Funkadelic. Nelson then brought his friend Eddie Hazel into the band and coined the name "Funkadelic" when Clinton moved the collective to Detroit. Nelson quit Funkadelic in 1971 but contributed to P-Funk releases sporadically for the next few years. Starting in 1994, he toured with the P-Funk All Stars for ten years.

'''[[Cordell Mosson|Cordell "Boogie" Mosson]]''' (bass, guitar, drums; October 16, 1952 – April 18, 2013).
Mosson joined Funkadelic in 1972 along with his friend and previous United Soul bandmate Garry Shider. Mosson was the primary bassist for Funkadelic starting in 1972 and Parliament starting a few years after Bootsy Collins began to focus on his solo career. Since the late 1970s, Mosson most frequently played rhythm guitar and continued to tour with the P-Funk All Stars until his death.

'''[[Ray Davis (musician)|Ray "Stingray" Davis]]''' (vocals; March 29, 1940 – July 5, 2005).
Davis was the bass singer and a member of The Parliaments. His distinctive voice can be heard on "[[Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)]]" and on George Clinton's solo hit single "[[Atomic Dog]]". Aside from Clinton, he was the only original member of the Parliaments not to leave in 1977. In the eighties, Davis recorded and toured with George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars in support of "Atomic Dog" and with [[Zapp (band)|Zapp]] in support of "I Can Make You Dance", but his vocal range made him an obvious choice as replacement bass vocalist for [[Melvin Franklin]] in the [[Temptations]]. Davis left the Temptations in 1995 (after being diagnosed with cancer), but continued to perform with former P-Funk members Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas under the name Original P.

'''[[Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins]]''' (vocals, guitar, drums; June 8, 1941 - March 17, 2023).
Haskins was a member and first tenor of The Parliaments. In addition to writing, playing drums and guitar, Haskins is known for his "gospel" singing style. He left P-Funk in 1977. In the 1990s, he formed Original P with the other Parliaments (Davis, Thomas and Simon), and retired in 2011.

'''[[Calvin Simon]]''' (vocals, percussion; May 22, 1942 – January 6, 2022).
Simon was an original member of The Parliaments, before leaving in 1977. In the nineties, he formed Original P with the other Parliaments (Davis, Thomas and Haskins), and retired in 2005. He was the owner of a record label.

'''[[Grady Thomas|"Shady Grady" Thomas]]''' (vocals; born January 5, 1941).
In the late 1950s, Thomas started as bass vocalist for The Parliaments. When Parliament members moved from Newark to Plainfield, New Jersey to "conk" hair at The Silk Palace, The Parliaments began a friendly rivalry with local doo wop group Sammy Campbell and the Del-Larks, who featured bass vocalist Raymond Davis. Thomas persuaded Davis to take over as bass vocalist in the Parliaments, which enabled Thomas to move to baritone. Thomas (along with Worrell) is responsible for the addition of drummer Jerome Brailey. After Thomas, Haskins, and Simon left P-Funk in 1977, Thomas formed his own band called The Shady Bunch. Word of Thomas's drummer, [[Dennis Chambers]], and bassist Rodney "Skeet" Curtis got back to Clinton, and Chambers and Curtis were invited, and joined Parliament-Funkadelic. After Thomas' brief return to The P-Funk Allstars in the nineties, Thomas cofounded Original P with original Parliaments (Davis, Haskins, and Simon). Thomas is the leader of [[Original P]].