Fuzzy Haskins
Encyclopedia
Clarence Eugene "Fuzzy" Haskins (born June 8, 1941) is a former singer with 1950s and 1960s doo-wop
group, The Parliaments
. He is a founding member of the groundbreaking and influential 1970s funk
bands Parliament
and Funkadelic
, also known as Parliament-Funkadelic
. He left Parliament-Funkadelic in 1977 to pursue a solo career. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic
.
, and starting in the late 1950s he was a founding member of doo wop vocal group The Parliaments
, led by George Clinton
. The group originated as a barbershop quintet
in the back room of a barber shop on West 3rd Street in Plainfield, New Jersey
. Haskins often sang lead in the group. They started traveling to Detroit, Michigan
on weekends in order to audition for Motown Records
and to participate in the fertile music scene there. The Parliaments released singles
on several record label
s, but did not have a hit until 1967 when "(I Wanna) Testify," on the small Detroit imprint Revilot Records, reached #3 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. The song was actually recorded by George Clinton and a group called The Holidays, as the other Parliaments didn't make it to Detroit that week. Revolot went out of business, and in the process, the group lost their name, The Parliaments.
By 1970, the five Parliaments singers were touring with five backing musicians known separately Funkadelic
. The highly rehearsed performances and suited
look of The Parliaments gave way to the members dressing in their own outrageous styles. Haskins wore long johns
on stage. Due to the contractual issues surrounding the group name, Clinton signed the band as Funkadelic
to Westbound Records
. The ensemble released their first album Funkadelic
in 1970. Clinton also renamed his group of singers Parliament
(but still with the Funkadelic musicians as official members) and signed that act to the Holland-Dozier-Holland
-owned record label, Invictus. Parliament released their first album Osmium
in 1970. Clinton now had two groups that were actually one entity. Under the name Funkadelic, the ensemble was geared towards a rock
audience, and as Parliament
it was aimed at a soul music
audience. Collectively, they became known as Parliament-Funkadelic
, or P-Funk
. Haskins contributed to P-Funk as a writer through 1972. He toured and appeared on P-Funk albums as a singer, and occasionally as a guitarist
, throughout the 1970s. In June 1977 at the height of P-Funk's popularity, Haskins (along with other original Parliaments Calvin Simon
and Grady Thomas
) left the ensemble over financial and management disputes with Clinton.
Haskins released his first solo album, A Whole Nother Thang
, in 1976. The album featured P-Funk members: Tiki Fulwood
and Cordell "Boogie" Mosson
on drums
, and Bootsy Collins
and Mosson on bass
. Bernie Worrell
makes an appearance on keyboards
, contributing horn and string arrangements as well. Haskins served as producer, singer, songwriter, guitarist and even drummer on one song. Haskins released his second album, Radio Active, two years later. An Ace compilation from 1994 reissued both albums on one CD.
In 1981, Haskins, Simon, and Thomas formed a new funk band using the name Funkadelic, appeared on Soul Train
under that name, and released the album, Connections & Disconnections
. The album was later reissued on CD with the title Who's a Funkadelic? in 1992. In the 1990s, Haskins toured with Original P
, a group made up of four of the original five Parliaments.
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
group, The Parliaments
The Parliaments
The Parliaments were a doo-wop quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, formed in the back room of a barbershop in the late 1950s and named after the cigarette brand. After some early personnel changes their lineup solidified with George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas...
. He is a founding member of the groundbreaking and influential 1970s funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
bands Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
and Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, also known as Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
. He left Parliament-Funkadelic in 1977 to pursue a solo career. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
.
Biography
Haskins was born in Elkins, West VirginiaElkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County...
, and starting in the late 1950s he was a founding member of doo wop vocal group The Parliaments
The Parliaments
The Parliaments were a doo-wop quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, formed in the back room of a barbershop in the late 1950s and named after the cigarette brand. After some early personnel changes their lineup solidified with George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas...
, led by George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
. The group originated as a barbershop quintet
Barbershop music
Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era , is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture...
in the back room of a barber shop on West 3rd Street in Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
. Haskins often sang lead in the group. They started traveling to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
on weekends in order to audition for Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
and to participate in the fertile music scene there. The Parliaments released singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, but did not have a hit until 1967 when "(I Wanna) Testify," on the small Detroit imprint Revilot Records, reached #3 on the Billboard R&B singles chart. The song was actually recorded by George Clinton and a group called The Holidays, as the other Parliaments didn't make it to Detroit that week. Revolot went out of business, and in the process, the group lost their name, The Parliaments.
By 1970, the five Parliaments singers were touring with five backing musicians known separately Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
. The highly rehearsed performances and suited
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
look of The Parliaments gave way to the members dressing in their own outrageous styles. Haskins wore long johns
Long underwear
Long underwear, also called long johns, Granny pantys, or thermal underwear, is a style of two-piece underwear with long legs and long sleeves that is normally worn during cold weather. It offers an advantage over the one-piece union suit in that the wearer can choose to wear either the top,...
on stage. Due to the contractual issues surrounding the group name, Clinton signed the band as Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
to Westbound Records
Westbound Records
Westbound Records is a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1970. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to...
. The ensemble released their first album Funkadelic
Funkadelic (album)
Funkadelic was the debut album by the American funk band Funkadelic, released in 1970 on Westbound Records. The album showcased a strong bass and rhythm section, as well as lengthy jam sessions, future trademarks of the band...
in 1970. Clinton also renamed his group of singers Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
(but still with the Funkadelic musicians as official members) and signed that act to the Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland-Dozier-Holland
Holland–Dozier–Holland is a songwriting and production team made up of Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Edward Holland, Jr. They are considered to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in popular music...
-owned record label, Invictus. Parliament released their first album Osmium
Osmium (album)
Osmium is the debut album of American funk band Parliament, led by George Clinton. The album has a psychedelic soul sound with a spirit of experimentation that is more similar to early Funkadelic than the later R&B-inspired Parliament albums. It was originally released in July 1970 on Invictus...
in 1970. Clinton now had two groups that were actually one entity. Under the name Funkadelic, the ensemble was geared towards a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
audience, and as Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
it was aimed at a soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
audience. Collectively, they became known as Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
, or P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
. Haskins contributed to P-Funk as a writer through 1972. He toured and appeared on P-Funk albums as a singer, and occasionally as a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, throughout the 1970s. In June 1977 at the height of P-Funk's popularity, Haskins (along with other original Parliaments Calvin Simon
Calvin Simon
Calvin Eugene Simon is a former member of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic....
and Grady Thomas
Grady Thomas
Grady Thomas is a former member of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
) left the ensemble over financial and management disputes with Clinton.
Haskins released his first solo album, A Whole Nother Thang
A Whole Nother Thang
A Whole Nother Thang is the 1976 debut album by Parliament-Funkadelic vocalist Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins. The album was released by Westbound Records and features heavy participation from various P-Funk musicians. The album features the track "Cookie Jar", which was later recorded by the P-Funk spin...
, in 1976. The album featured P-Funk members: Tiki Fulwood
Tiki Fulwood
Ramon "Tiki" Fulwood was a drummer for the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic...
and Cordell "Boogie" Mosson
Boogie Mosson
Cordell "Boogie" Mosson was born October 16, 1952. A good friend of Garry Shider, the two left Plainfield, New Jersey in their teens to go to Canada. They joined a band called United Soul, which came to the attention of George Clinton, who had known Shider as a youth in Plainfield...
on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins
William Earl "Bootsy" Collins is an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.Rising to prominence with James Brown in the late 1960s, and with Parliament-Funkadelic in the '70s, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk...
and Mosson on bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. Bernie Worrell
Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. is an American keyboardist and composer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic...
makes an appearance on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, contributing horn and string arrangements as well. Haskins served as producer, singer, songwriter, guitarist and even drummer on one song. Haskins released his second album, Radio Active, two years later. An Ace compilation from 1994 reissued both albums on one CD.
In 1981, Haskins, Simon, and Thomas formed a new funk band using the name Funkadelic, appeared on Soul Train
Soul Train
Soul Train is an American musical variety show that aired in syndication from October 1971 to March 2006. In its 35-year history, the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists, although funk, jazz, disco, and gospel artists have also appeared.As a nod to Soul Trains...
under that name, and released the album, Connections & Disconnections
Connections & Disconnections
Connections & Disconnections is a renegade Funkadelic album, performed by original Parliaments members Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon and Grady Thomas. The album was released in 1980 in Germany, under the title 42,9 %, and in 1981 in the United States...
. The album was later reissued on CD with the title Who's a Funkadelic? in 1992. In the 1990s, Haskins toured with Original P
Original P
The Original P is an American funk band formed in 1998 by four founding members of Parliament-Funkadelic, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, Ray Davis and Grady Thomas...
, a group made up of four of the original five Parliaments.
Discography
- A Whole Nother ThangA Whole Nother ThangA Whole Nother Thang is the 1976 debut album by Parliament-Funkadelic vocalist Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins. The album was released by Westbound Records and features heavy participation from various P-Funk musicians. The album features the track "Cookie Jar", which was later recorded by the P-Funk spin...
(1976), WestboundWestbound RecordsWestbound Records is a Detroit-based record label founded by Armen Boladian in 1970. It had a distribution deal with Janus Records from 1970 to 1975, but then it switched distribution to 20th Century Records during 1975 and 1976, but again switched distribution to Atlantic Records from 1976 to... - Radio Active (1978), Westbound
- A Whole Nother Radio Active ThangA Whole Nother Radio Active ThangA Whole Nother Radio Active Thang is a compilation album by Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins. The album was released in 1994 by Westbound Records and combines two individual albums recorded by Haskins, A Whole Nother Thang , and Radio Active , as well as a previously unreleased track entitled "Right Back...
(1994), Westbound/AceAce Records (UK)Ace Records Ltd. was started in 1978. Initially the company only gained permission from the label based in Mississippi to use the name in the UK, but eventually also acquired the rights to publish their recordings. When Chiswick's pop side was licensed to EMI in 1984, Ace switched to more licensing...
- reissue of both albums on one CD