Eddie Hazel is a funk metal guitar hero who provided Parliament/Funkadelic with their six-string prototype most famously on the weeping eclipses of “Maggot Brain.” The Brooklyn-born but Plainfield, New Jersey raised Hazel became the heart of Funkadelic’s rhythm section in the late ’60s along with drummer Tiki Fulwood and childhood friend Billy Nelson on bass. Hazel’s psychedelic funk sound that could easily streamline into bluesy melodicism established itself on Funkadelic’s first trilogy of albums. He proved to be more than a celestial instrumentalist as evidenced by his co-writing credit for most of Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On. “Red Hot Mama” from that album has Hazel playing an exalted solo of lithesome notes with the intensity of a volcanic rupture. The Hazel sound also soloed like liquid fire on “Comin Round The Mountain” from the Hardcore Jollies album. In 1975 he worked with The Temptations co-writing and playing lead guitar on “Shakey Ground” from their A Song For You album. “California Dreamin'” is from Hazel’s 1977 solo album Game, Dames and Guitar Things. “Pumping It Up” from the P-Funk All Stars Urban Dancefloor Guerrillas was his last recording with George Clinton and company. Hazel passed in 1992 of liver failure and internal bleeding after years of stomach problems and drug abuse. Bill Laswell posthumously released some of Hazel’s work on the ’95 Funkcronomicon album. Hazel’s legacy places him as a priest of the soulful Black volume inherited by Fishbone, Vernon Reid, Prince, Van Hunt and Meshell Ndgeocello.

We’re not going to see a diaper-clad Garry Shider onstage with P-Funk anymore. A prominent force of musical muscle as a vocalist, guitarist and director of the P-Funk died of brain and lung cancer yesterday. Shider’s family and friends had created a fund for his medical expenses since he started fighting the disease on March 25th. As a ten-year old child growing-up in Plainfield, New Jersey Shider and his brothers played and sang behind
several gospel artists including The Mighty Clouds Of Joy, Shirley Caesar, The Five Blind Boys and others. As a ten-year old child Shider and his brothers played and sang behind several gospel artists including The Might Clouds Of Joy, Shirley Caesar and The Five Blind Boys. It was around this time in his life when he met George Clinton at the barbershop that Clinton owned. In addition to cutting hair Clinton would host doo-wop sessions and counsel youth. Shider and his good friend Cordell “Boogie” Mason were teenagers in the ’60’s when they moved to Canada trying to escape the lure of the streets. They formed a band called United Soul and were taken under Clinton’s wing. The results of his involvement bore two singles for Shider and Masson’s group, “I Miss My Baby” and “Baby I Owe You Something Good” as US Music With Funkadelic on the Westbound label. But by
both Shider and Mosson were members of Funkadelic. Shider quickly became known as “Diaperman” for the loincloth he wore as a suggestion from Clinton. His vocals and guitar on songs like “Swing Down” and “Cosmic Slop” were necessities of the P-Funk sound. He is a co-writer of “One Nation Under A Groove” and worked with spin off acts Bootsy Collins and fallen too soon guitar genius Eddie Hazel. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997 along with the other members of Parliament Funkadelic. His work with both bands helped formed the foundation of postmodern music. Hip-hop, dance, R&B, rock and countless other genres have lifelines in P-Funk.

Supreme Interviews legendary visual artist Pedro Bell known for designing album covers for Funkadelic.
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