Got to see him perform a few times...last time was with the Talking Heads on the Stop Making Sense Tour....great funk keyboard player. RIP!!
I follow Bootsy Collins Facebook page. He put up a picture of Bernie and people were adding their memories of him. He also did some awesome side stuff with Bill Laswell. Most people forget that Parliament Funkadelic where originally a barber shop doo wop group, the Parliaments. But Berry Gordy bought the rights to their label and the group name. It was back to the beginning. So they went to Detroit, added Eddie Hazel, Bernie Worrell and others, started checking out the MC5 on their days off. What is P-Funk but funk with a Detroit rock attitude?
Bernie played on a ton of recordings...I never got to see him with P Funk but did see him with Talking Heads...first time I saw him he was sitting in with a reggae band...I forget who...it was a festival...maybe Sly and Robbie or Judy Mowatt.
I didn't know that Adrian Belew played on Stop Standing StIil and in the Tom Tom Club. I've followed that guy for years and have a lot of his solo work. He's working for Dreamworks now doing soundtracks for short films. Amazing when you consider he got started as Zappa's "stunt guitarist."
Saw Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy's Rubber Band in 1978 at the ripe old age of 11 years old! Let's just say I have pretty hip parents and I was a "good" kid that never asked for the moon, so when I asked for the moon, my parents obliged. The air sure smelled funny that day... At the time I thought it was from all the "smoke" coming from the stage. Later I discovered it was the "smoke" coming from all the fans in the audience! Anyway, I got to see Bootsy, the Mothership land and some man in a diaper... Some scantily clad women too, but I was 10 and more interested in the music, haha. Now I'm more interested in the Mothers of Invention than the Mothership, but that was a memorable experience that's for damn sure!!
I love Zappa...you should check out Captain Beefhart as well but you probably have. I took my oldest daughter to a Zappa show in Berkley in the 70s and there were no tickets left...she was about 9...she sat outside the door crying and a security guard came up...gave us both backstage passes and made her the happiest little Zappa fan on the planet! Never got to see Bootsy or Parliament Funkadelic but had all their recordings. When we got inside Frank was soloing to Tied to the Whipping Post...one of the few cover songs he arranged and it was amazing!
Have met several of Zappa's sideman over the years. Ike Willis lots of times and Ian Underwood. That was quite a few years ago. Have also met Terry Bozzio and corresponded with Mike Kenealey who does the Metalocalypse live shows. Captain Beefheat guitarist Bill Harkleroad is a guitar teacher but probaby retired now. He even wrote a book about his time as "Zoot Horn Rollo." Anybody who reads the book can see why he'a keeping a low profile. The music industry chewed him up and spit him out. But as far as electric blues slide riffage. There is nobody better. Just listen to Big Eyed Beams From Venus......
Zappa fans? Well that explains everything! Both of you have awesome stories and experiences and I envy the both of you! Yeah I know Beefheart's work and he is another musical genius. The book sounds interesting. I wonder if it's in eBook format? Cheers to the both of you and rest in peace, Bernie.
