Bernie Worrell was the extraordinarily talented and innovative keyboardist for Parliament/Funkadelic and later The Talking Heads. Worrell, also known as the “Wizard of Woo,” passed away Friday.
The Associated Press reported that on June 24, 2016, at the age of 72, Worrell died as a result of stage-four lung cancer. Though his death was imminent, the loss was none the less. His wife, Judie Worrell, shared her thoughts on his Facebook page.
Worrell, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 along with his Parliament/Funkadelic colleagues, was a child prodigy. According to his webpage, Worrell began playing the piano as early as age three, and continued to study music all throughout his childhood. He attended the Julliard School of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music, where he first gained interest in the Moog synthesizer after listening to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. As he indicated in an interview with Music Radar, it wasn’t long before he had his own Minimoog, and birthed a whole new type of funk!
Countless musicians and people in the music industry have claimed to be influenced by Worrell’s unique sounds, and many have shared their memories and condolences publicly. George Clinton of Paliament/Funkadelic told Billboard that “the world of music will never be the same. Bernie’s influence and contribution -- not just to Funk but also Rock and Hip Hop -- will forever be felt…The world is a little bit darker and a little less funky without Bernie in it.” Paul Shaffer from the Late Show with David Letterman band shared a similar sentiment with The Huffington Post, when he said that Worrell is “just a wonderful spirit. I don’t think you can play like that without having that love in your soul. Anybody that likes soul music and funk music knows about him and studies him.” The New England Conservatory of Music even bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Music degree upon Worrell this past May.
According to Rollingstone magazine, Worrell had a career that went above and beyond just Parliament/Funkadelic and Talking Heads. He collaborated with Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, Bootsy Collins, Les Claypool, Mos Def, Sly Dunbar, Herbie Hancock, Fela Kuti, Maceo Parker, Keith Richards, B-52's Fred Schneider, and the band Praxis, just to name a few. Thanks to fans who supported his efforts, Worrell was able to complete and publish his final album, Retrospectives, this past January, which is comprised of the instrumental versions of several of his songs, including "Flashlight" and “Aquaboogie.” On the topic of instrumental, this sample from Soundcloud was tweeted in his memory. It showcases the range of his talents, including his background in classical music.