keyboardist A keyboardist or keyboard player is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instr ...

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

Jon Pareles Jon Pareles (born October 25, 1953) is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of ''The New York Times''.

Biography

Early life

Worrell was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, and grew up in

Plainfield, New Jersey Plainfield is a city in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, known by its nickname as "The Queen City."

, where his family moved when he was eight. A musical

prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and ...

, he began formal piano lessons by age three and wrote a concerto at age eight. He went on to study at the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...

and received a degree from the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on H ...

in 1967. As a college student, Worrell played with a group called Chubby & The Turnpikes; this ensemble eventually evolved into

Tavares Tavares may refer to: Places Brazil *Tavares, Paraíba *Tavares, Rio Grande do Sul *Rodovia Raposo Tavares, the longest highway in São Paulo *Tavares Bastos (favela), a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil *Tavares River Jamaica *Tavares Garden ...

.

1970s

After meeting George Clinton, leader of a Plainfield-based doo wop group called

The Parliaments The Parliaments were an American vocal quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, United States. Originally formed in the back room of a barbershop in 1956, the quintet was named after the cigarette brand. The Parliaments initially performed doo-wop ...

, Worrell moved with Clinton, The Parliaments and their backing band, The Funkadelics, to

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

; thereafter, both groups became collectively known as

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...

. During the 1970s the same group of musicians separately recorded under the names

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

and

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkade ...

, (among several others), but toured as P-Funk. Worrell played

grand piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

,

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from the mid-1950s to mid-1980s. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is concept ...

,

Hohner Clavinet The Clavinet is an electrically amplified clavichord invented by Ernst Zacharias and manufactured by the Hohner company of Trossingen, West Germany, from 1964 to 1982. The instrument produces sounds by a rubber pad striking a point on a tension ...

,

Hammond B3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs ...

, ARP String Ensemble and

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 20 ...

, co-wrote, and wrote horn and rhythm

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

s on hit recordings for both groups and other associated bands under the "Parliafunkadelicment Thang" production company, and many of his most notable performances were recorded with Bootsy's Rubber Band,

Parlet Parlet was a female spinoff group from P-Funk formed by veteran background vocalists Mallia Franklin, Jeanette Washington and Debbie Wright. Washington and Wright were the first female members in Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadeli ...

,

The Brides of Funkenstein The Brides of Funkenstein were an American Soul and Funk girl band, originally composed of singers Dawn Silva and Lynn Mabry. History Previously background singers for Sly Stone, singer of Sly and the Family Stone, Lynn Mabry and Dawn Silva joi ...

and

The Horny Horns The Horny Horns were a horn section associated with Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy's Rubber Band led by trombonist Fred Wesley. The group also featured saxophonist Maceo Parker and Rick Gardner and Richard "Kush" Griffith on trumpets. While th ...

. Worrell recorded a 1978 solo album, '' All the Woo in the World'', with the musical backing of P-Funk's members. While funk musicians traditionally utilized electric keyboards, such as the Hammond organ and Fender

Rhodes electric piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, t ...

, Worrell was the second recipient of the Moog synthesizer created by

Bob Moog Robert Arthur Moog ( ; May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was an American engineer and electronic music pioneer. He was the founder of the synthesizer manufacturer Moog Music and the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer, the Moog synthe ...

. Mainly responsible for creating Parliament's futuristic sound, Worrell's use of the

Minimoog The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...

bass on the Parliament song "

Flash Light A flashlight ( US, Canada) or torch ( UK, Australia) is a portable hand-held electric lamp. Formerly, the light source typically was a miniature incandescent light bulb, but these have been displaced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) since the ...

", on 1977's '' Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome'', heavily influenced the sound of R&B music and served as a bridge between American R&B and the insurgence of new wave,

new age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

and

techno Techno is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally music production, produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central Drum beat, rhythm is typ ...

. He used the

ARP Pro Soloist The ARP Pro Soloist was one of the first commercially successful preset synthesizers. Introduced by ARP Instruments, Inc. in 1972, it replaced the similar ARP Soloist (19701971) in the company's lineup of portable performance instruments. Histo ...

as well. Worrell played synthesizer and digital keyboard on P funk songs throughout the 1970s, most notably "

Mothership Connection (Star Child) "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" is a funk song by Parliament. It was the third and last single released from the group's 1975 album ''Mothership Connection''. The song introduces George Clinton's messianic alien alter ego Star Child ...

" and "

Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker) "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" is a funk song by Parliament. It was released as a single under the name "Tear the Roof off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)". It was the second single to be released from Parliament's 1975 album '' ...

" from ''

Mothership Connection ''Mothership Connection'' is the fourth album by American funk band Parliament, released on December 15, 1975 on Casablanca Records. This concept album is often rated among the best Parliament-Funkadelic releases, and was the first to feature horn ...

'' (1975) and " Aqua Boogie" from ''

Motor Booty Affair ''Motor Booty Affair'' is the seventh album by funk band Parliament. Released on November 20, 1978. It contains two of the group's most popular tracks, "Rumpofsteelskin" and "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" which went to numbe ...

'' (1978).

1980s

When Parliament-Funkadelic took a hiatus from touring in the early 1980s, Worrell was recruited, along with other musicians from differing

musical genres This is a list of music genres and styles. Music can be described in terms of many music genre, genres and styles. Classifications are often arbitrary, and may be disputed and closely related forms often overlap. Larger genres and styles comprise ...

such as guitarist

Adrian Belew Robert Steven "Adrian" Belew (born December 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist primarily known as a guitarist and singer, he is noted for his unusual and impressionistic approach to ...

, to perform and record with

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

. Worrell's experience and feel for different arrangements enhanced the overall sound of the band. Though he never officially joined Talking Heads, he was a ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' member of the group for most of the '80s, appearing on one of their studio albums, several solo albums, and two tours until they officially disbanded in 1991. Worrell can be seen in the band's concert film ''

Stop Making Sense ''Stop Making Sense'' is a 1984 American concert film featuring a live performance by the American rock band Talking Heads. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 198 ...

''. Notably, Worrell was invited to perform with Talking Heads as part of their 2002 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1983, Worrell provided keyboard parts for

Mtume Mtume (pronounced ''em-tu-may'') was an American funk and soul group that rose to prominence during the early 1980s and had several R&B hits during its career. Its founder, former percussionist James Mtume, previously played and toured with M ...

's hit song "

Juicy Fruit Juicy Fruit is an American brand of chewing gum made by the Wrigley Company, a U.S. company that since 2008 has been a subsidiary of the privately held Mars, Incorporated. It was introduced in 1893, and in the 21st century the brand name is rec ...

". Worrell co-produced Fred Schneider's 1984 solo album ''

Fred Schneider and the Shake Society ''Fred Schneider and the Shake Society'' is the debut solo studio album by American new wave musician Fred Schneider, released in 1984 by Warner Bros. Records. It was re-released in 1991 as ''Fred Schneider''. Musicians and backing vocalists var ...

'' and played keyboards and synthesizers on some of the album's tracks. Bernie Worrell-02

In 1987 he appeared on the critically acclaimed solo release

Casual Gods ''Casual Gods'' is the second album by American musician Jerry Harrison, released in 1988 by Sire Records in the U.S. and Fontana Records in the UK and Europe. His third album, '' Walk on Water'', would also bear the Casual Gods name as a proxy fo ...

by

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...

of

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

. The LP contained the US Mainstream Charts hit "Rev it up" which reached a high of #7 and appeared in the movie " Something Wild". He worked with Jerry Harrison on his other releases also.

1990s–2010s

From the late 1980s through the 2010s, Worrell recorded extensively with

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

, including

Sly and Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separa ...

's Laswell-produced '' Rhythm Killers'' and the 1985 Fela Kuti album ''Army Arrangement''. Worrell performed with

Gov't Mule Gov't Mule (pronounced "Government Mule") is an American Southern rock jam band, formed in 1994 as a side project of the Allman Brothers Band by guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. Fans often refer to Gov't Mule simply as ''Mule''. ...

. Through the beginning of the 21st century, he became a visible member of the

jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational "jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often cr ...

scene, performing in many large summer

music festival A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or h ...

s, sometimes billed as Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors. He appeared on several

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

albums, including ''

A Question of Time "A Question of Time" is Depeche Mode's seventeenth UK single, released on 11 August 1986, following the similarly titled "A Question of Lust" single. The 7" remix of "A Question of Time" runs at a slightly faster tempo and pitch than the ori ...

'', ''

Cities of the Heart ''Cities of the Heart'' is a Jack Bruce double CD release of sections of two live performances given on 2 and 3 November 1993 in Cologne, Germany, to celebrate Bruce's 50th birthday. They were recorded for the WDR "Rockpalast" TV show and a D ...

'', '' Monkjack'' and ''

More Jack than God ''More Jack than God'' is the thirteenth studio album by Scottish musician Jack Bruce, released in August 2003. It was the second of two Bruce albums to be co-produced by Kip Hanrahan. Track listing # "So They Invented Race" (Bruce, Kip Hanrah ...

''. Worrell was a founding member of the

CBS Orchestra Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band is an American musical ensemble led by Paul Shaffer. It was David Letterman's house band for 33 years. The band formed in 1982 to serve as house band for NBC's ''Late Night with David Letterman'' ...

when the ''

Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the The Late Show (franchise), ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by ...

'' launched in August 1993, playing lead synthesizer. Worrell departed in November when the orchestra added a horn section. In 1994, Worrell appeared on the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

's compilation album, '' Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool''. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

epidemic in the African-American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine. Worrell joined the rock group Black Jack Johnson, with

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

,

Will Calhoun William Calhoun (born July 22, 1964) is an American drummer who is a member of the rock band Living Colour. Career Calhoun was born in the Bronx, New York. He moved to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated with a de ...

,

Doug Wimbish Douglas Arthur Wimbish (born September 22, 1956) is an American bass player, primarily known for being a member of rock band Living Colour and funk/dub/hip hop collective Tackhead, and as a session musician with artists such as Sugarhill Gang ...

and Dr. Know. He appears with the band on Mos Def's 2004 release ''

The New Danger ''The New Danger'' is the second studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 2004, by Rawkus and Geffen Records. It is the follow-up to his breakthrough solo effort ''Black on Both Sides'' (1999), after which he devoted more ...

''. Worrell joined forces with bass legend

Les Claypool Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...

, guitarist

Buckethead Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans severa ...

and drummer

Bryan Mantia Bryan Kei Mantia (born February 4, 1963), known professionally as Brain, is an American rock drummer. He has played with bands such as Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis, and Godflesh, and with other performers such as Tom Waits, Serj Tankian, Bill L ...

to form the group

Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains (C2B3) was an experimental rock supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia. History Les Claypool, bassist of many ban ...

. In 2009, he joined longtime Parliament-Funkadelic guitarist

DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight DeWayne Stephen "Blackbyrd" McKnight (born April 17, 1954) is an American guitarist. He was a member of The Headhunters, a jazz-funk fusion band from 1975 through 1978 and Parliament-Funkadelic from 1978 through 2008. He served briefly as gu ...

, bassist

Melvin Gibbs Melvin Gibbs is an American bass guitarist who has appeared on close to 200 albums in diverse genres of music. Among others, Gibbs is known for working in jazz with drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and guitarist Sonny Sharrock, and in rock music ...

and drummer J.T. Lewis to form the band SociaLybrium. Their album ''For You/For Us/For All'' was released on Livewired Music in January 2010. Worrell appeared in the 2004 documentary film '' Moog'' with synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog and several other Moog synthesizer musicians. In 2011, he toured with

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading n ...

, another major figure from Parliament-Funkadelic. From 2011 through 2015, Worrell performed with his group, the Bernie Worrell Orchestra. The band became known for the appearance of special guests at live performances, including Bootsy Collins,

Tina Weymouth Martina Michèle Weymouth (born November 22, 1950) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and a founding member and bassist of the new wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club, which she co-founded with her husband, Tal ...

,

Chris Frantz Charton Christopher Frantz (born May 8, 1951) is an American musician and record producer. He is the drummer for both Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club, both of which he co-founded with wife and Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth. In 2002, Frant ...

,

Jimmy Destri Jimmy Destri (born James Mollica, April 13, 1954, Brooklyn, New York City, United States) is an American musician. Background Destri is of Italian descent. His father was a novelist who also wrote screenplays and eventually advertising copy to ...

, Mike Watt,

Rah Digga Rashia Tashan Fisher (born December 18, 1974), known professionally as Rah Digga, is an American rapper and actress. She is best known as a longtime member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes. Her debut album, ''Dirty H ...

and

Gary Lucas Gary Lucas (born June 20, 1952) is an American guitarist/songwriter/composer who was a member of Captain Beefheart's band. He formed the band Gods and Monsters (band), Gods and Monsters in 1989. Lucas has released more than 50 albums to date a ...

. In 2012 and 2013, Worrell played a series of concerts with guitarist Steve Kimock, bassist

Andy Hess Andy Hess (born December 4, 1966) is an American bassist and former member of Gov't Mule, having joined the band in 2003. Previously, he was The Black Crowes' bassist from February 2001 until their hiatus early the following year. He has also ...

, and vocalist-percussionist Camille Armstrong. Kimock's son John Morgan Kimock played drums for the group in 2013. Worrell worked on the Seattle-based Khu.éex' project fusing traditional

Tlingit The Tlingit ( or ; also spelled Tlinkit) are indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. Their language is the Tlingit language (natively , pronounced ),

music with funk, jazz, and experimental music. The project includes Preston Singletary,

Skerik Skerik is an American saxophonist from Seattle, Washington. Performing on the tenor and baritone saxophone, often with electronics and loops, he is a pioneer in a playing style that has been called saxophonics. He is a founding member of Critt ...

, Stanton Moore, Captain Raab and

Randall Dunn Randall Dunn is an American record producer, audio engineer, and musician. As a record producer, he has worked with musical acts such as Sunn O))), Six Organs of Admittance, Marissa Nadler, Wolves in the Throne Room, Boris, Anna Von Haussw ...

among others. In 2015, Worrell appeared in the movie ''

Ricki and the Flash ''Ricki and the Flash'' is a 2015 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Diablo Cody, about a woman who leaves her family to become a rock star and later gets a chance to make amends. The film stars Meryl Stre ...

'' as the keyboard player in

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

's band. The movie reunited Worrell with director Jonathan Demme, who had directed ''Stop Making Sense''. Worrell was a judge for the 12th, 13th, and 14th annual Independent Music Awards. During May 2016, the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on H ...

gave Worrell, who studied at the school until 1967, an honorary

Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...

degree.

Death

In January 2016, Worrell was diagnosed with a "mild form" of prostate cancer, stage-four liver cancer and stage-four

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

. He relocated from New Jersey, his long-time home, to

Bellingham, Washington Bellingham ( ) is the most populous city in, and county seat of Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It lies south of the U.S.–Canada border in between two major cities of the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver, British Columbia (locat ...

. A tribute and

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...

to raise funds for Worrell's cancer treatment, produced by the

Black Rock Coalition The Black Rock Coalition is a New York-based artists' collective and nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the creative freedom and works of black musicians. Founding and purpose The BRC was founded in 1985 in New York City by Vernon Reid ...

and featuring musicians with whom Worrell has worked over his career, occurred on April 4 and 5, 2016. On May 9, Worrell's wife Judie posted an update on his condition on his Facebook page: Judie Worrell issued a statement on Facebook on June 16 to friends and family that "I was just told that Bernie is now headed 'Home'." She encouraged people close to Worrell to "visit him to say your goodbyes" and added that he is too ill to speak on the phone or text. Bernie Worrell died at his home in

Everson, Washington Everson is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,481 at the time of the 2010 census. Everson and the nearby city of Nooksack lie near the foothills of the Cascade mountains in Northwest Washington. Located o ...

, on June 24, 2016, at the age of 72. His wife issued a statement that "Bernie transitioned Home to The Great Spirit. Rest in peace, my love—you definitely made the world a better place. Till we meet again, vaya con Dios." Following his death, guitarist

Buckethead Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans severa ...

created a 21.5 minute long tribute song: 'Space Viking'. Buckethead published it on his 'Pike' series, as part of Pike 245. The song was captioned: "To Bernie Worrell, The Greatest Music Maker Of All".

Documentary

''Stranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth'' is a

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

about Worrell's life, music and impact. At

AllMovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...

, critic Mark Deming wrote that the film "profiles his life and career while also examining how even a genius has to find a way to make a living".

Discography

Solo albums

*1978: '' All the Woo in the World'' *1990: '' Funk of Ages'' *1993: '' Blacktronic Science'' *1993: '' Pieces of Woo: The Other Side'' *1997: '' Free Agent: A Spaced Odyssey'' *2007: ''Improvisczario'' *2009: ''Christmas Woo'' *2010: '' I Don't Even Know'' *2011: '' Standards'' *2013: ''BWO Is Landing'' (credited as "The Bernie Worrell Orchestra") *2014: ''Elevation: The Upper Air'' *2016: ''Retrospectives''

Funkadelic

*1970: ''

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkade ...

'' *1970: '' Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow'' *1971: ''

Maggot Brain ''Maggot Brain'' is the third studio album by the American funk rock band Funkadelic, released by Westbound Records in July 1971. It was produced by band leader George Clinton and recorded at United Sound Systems in Detroit during late 1970 an ...

'' *1972: ''

America Eats Its Young ''America Eats Its Young'' is the fourth album (a double album) by Funkadelic, released in May 1972. This was the first album to include the whole of the House Guests, including Bootsy Collins, Catfish Collins, Chicken Gunnels, Rob McCollough a ...

'' *1973: ''

Cosmic Slop ''Cosmic Slop'' is the fifth studio album by Funkadelic, released in May 1973 on Westbound Records. While it has been favorably reevaluated by critics long after its original release, the album was a commercial failure, producing no charting si ...

'' *1974: '' Standing on the Verge of Getting It On'' *1975: '' Let's Take It to the Stage'' *1976: ''

Tales of Kidd Funkadelic ''Tales of Kidd Funkadelic'' is the eighth studio album by the band Funkadelic, released in September 1976. It was their final album on the Westbound record label. The tracks were recorded during the same sessions as their first release for War ...

'' *1976: '' Hardcore Jollies'' *1978: ''

One Nation Under a Groove ''One Nation Under a Groove'' is the tenth studio album by American funk rock band Funkadelic, released on September 22, 1978 on Warner Bros. Records. Recording sessions took place at United Sound Studio in Detroit, Michigan, with one song reco ...

'' *1979: ''

Uncle Jam Wants You ''Uncle Jam Wants You'' is the eleventh studio album by American funk rock band Funkadelic. It was originally released by Warner Bros. Records on September 21, 1979, and was later reissued on CD by Charly Groove Records and Priority Records. It ...

'' *1996: '' Live: Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan – 12th September 1971'' *2008: ''

Toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pe ...

'' (recorded 1970–74) *2014: '' First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate''

Parliament

*1970: '' Osmium'' *1974: '' Up for the Down Stroke'' *1975: '' Chocolate City'' *1975: ''

Mothership Connection ''Mothership Connection'' is the fourth album by American funk band Parliament, released on December 15, 1975 on Casablanca Records. This concept album is often rated among the best Parliament-Funkadelic releases, and was the first to feature horn ...

'' *1976: '' The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein'' *1977: '' Live: P-Funk Earth Tour'' *1977: '' Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome'' *1978: ''

Motor Booty Affair ''Motor Booty Affair'' is the seventh album by funk band Parliament. Released on November 20, 1978. It contains two of the group's most popular tracks, "Rumpofsteelskin" and "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" which went to numbe ...

'' *1979: ''

Gloryhallastoopid ''Gloryhallastoopid (Or Pin the Tale on the Funky)'' is the eighth album by the funk ensemble Parliament (band), Parliament. It was their penultimate album on the Casablanca Records label, and is another concept album which tries to explain that ...

'' *1980: ''

Trombipulation ''Trombipulation'' is the ninth album by the funk band Parliament (see 1980 in music). It was released by Casablanca Records. It was the last album of original material produced by the group for 38 years until '' Medicaid Fraud Dogg'' in 2018. Un ...

''

Selected contributions to other albums

*1981:

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...

, ''

The Red and the Black ''Le Rouge et le Noir'' (; meaning ''The Red and the Black'') is a historical psychological novel in two volumes by Stendhal, published in 1830. It chronicles the attempts of a provincial young man to rise socially beyond his modest upbringing t ...

'' *1982: George Clinton, '' Computer Games'' *1982:

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...

, '' The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads'' *1983: Talking Heads, ''

Speaking in Tongues Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...

'' *1984: Talking Heads, ''

Stop Making Sense ''Stop Making Sense'' is a 1984 American concert film featuring a live performance by the American rock band Talking Heads. Directed by Jonathan Demme, it was shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood's Pantages Theater in December 198 ...

'' *1984: Fred Schneider, ''

Fred Schneider and the Shake Society ''Fred Schneider and the Shake Society'' is the debut solo studio album by American new wave musician Fred Schneider, released in 1984 by Warner Bros. Records. It was re-released in 1991 as ''Fred Schneider''. Musicians and backing vocalists var ...

'' *1985: Fela Kuti, '' Army Arrangement'' *1985:

The Golden Palominos The Golden Palominos were an American musical group headed by drummer, producer, arranger and composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Aside from Fier, the Palominos membership has been wildly elastic, with only bassist Bill Laswell and guita ...

, '' Visions of Excess'' *1986:

Ginger Baker Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker (19 August 1939 – 6 October 2019) was an English drummer. His work in the 1960s and 1970s earned him the reputation of "rock's first superstar drummer", for a style that melded jazz and African rhythms and pi ...

, ''

Horses & Trees ''Horses & Trees'' is an album by English drummer Ginger Baker, released in 1986. The album is entirely instrumental and contains six dance-oriented songs. Track listing # "Interlock" (Bill Laswell, Daniel Ponce, Nicky Skopelitis, Foday Mu ...

'' *1987:

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...

, "

Casual Gods ''Casual Gods'' is the second album by American musician Jerry Harrison, released in 1988 by Sire Records in the U.S. and Fontana Records in the UK and Europe. His third album, '' Walk on Water'', would also bear the Casual Gods name as a proxy fo ...

" *1987:

Jesse Rae Jesse Rae (born 1951) is a Scottish singer and composer from St Boswells in Scotland. Career In the 1970s Rae moved to the US securing work as a runner in the New York Stock Exchange to fund his stay. Through work in Cleveland and Los Angeles ...

, ''The Thistle'' *1992:

Praxis Praxis may refer to: Philosophy and religion * Praxis (process), the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practised, embodied, or realised * Praxis model, a way of doing theology * Praxis (Byzantine Rite), the practice of fai ...

, '' Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)'' *1995:

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

, '' Monkjack'' *1995:

Julian Schnabel Julian Schnabel (born October 26, 1951) is an American painter and filmmaker. In the 1980s, he received international attention for his "plate paintings" — with broken ceramic plates set onto large-scale paintings. Since the 1990s, he has been ...

, '' Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud'' *1995: Third Rail (

James Blood Ulmer James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been called "ragg ...

&

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

), '' South Delta Space Age'' *1996: Pharoah Sanders, '' Message from Home'' *1998:

Robben Ford Robben Lee Ford (born December 16, 1951) is an American blues, jazz, and rock guitarist. He was a member of the L.A. Express and Yellowjackets and has collaborated with Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison, Larry Carlton, Rick Sprin ...

, Tiger Walk *1998: Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends ov’t Mule*1998: Pharoah Sanders, ''

Save Our Children Save Our Children, Inc. was an American political coalition formed in 1977 in Miami, Florida, to overturn a recently legislated county ordinance that banned discrimination in areas of housing, employment, and public accommodation based on sexua ...

'' *2001:

Shin Terai Shin Terai is a Japanese musician and producer most known for his work with Bill Laswell and Buckethead. On his albums he combines ambient and electronic music with dub and avant-garde jazz. Biography Shin Terai gained some first publicity as ...

, ''

Unison In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm. Definition Unison or per ...

'' *2004:

Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains (C2B3) was an experimental rock supergroup featuring bassist Les Claypool, guitarist Buckethead, keyboardist Bernie Worrell and drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia. History Les Claypool, bassist of many ban ...

, '' The Big Eyeball in the Sky'' *2004:

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

, ''

The New Danger ''The New Danger'' is the second studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 2004, by Rawkus and Geffen Records. It is the follow-up to his breakthrough solo effort ''Black on Both Sides'' (1999), after which he devoted more ...

'' *2005: Munkeez Strikin' Matchiz, ''Wreck It'' (with

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inc ...

and

Chuck D. Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D helped cre ...

) *2006: Gigi, ''Gold & Wax'' *2006: Baby Elephant, ''Turn My Teeth Up'' *2007: Shin Terai, ''Lightyears'' *2007: Praxis, '' Tennessee 2004'' *2008: Praxis, '' Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness)'' *2008: Science Faxtion, '' Living on Another Frequency'' *2009: Eric McFadden Trio, ''Delicate Thing'' *2016: Joe Marcinek Band, ''Slink'' *2017:

Jesse Rae Jesse Rae (born 1951) is a Scottish singer and composer from St Boswells in Scotland. Career In the 1970s Rae moved to the US securing work as a runner in the New York Stock Exchange to fund his stay. Through work in Cleveland and Los Angeles ...

, ''Worae''

Awards

*Independent Music Awards 2013: "Get Your Hands Off" - Best Funk/Fusion/Jam Song

References

External links

Official website of Bernie Worrell''Stranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth''Interview
at Artist Connection Podcast, October 2011
Interview
NAMM Oral History Library, January 2012 * * ;

Live Music Archive The Live Music Archive (LMA), part of the Internet Archive, is an ad-free collection of over 170,000 concert recordings in lossless audio formats. The songs are also downloadable or playable in lossy formats such as Ogg Vorbis or MP3. The web ...

Bernie WorrellBernie Worrell and the Woo WarriorsBernie Worrell Orchestra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worrell, Bernie 1944 births 2016 deaths African-American rock musicians American funk keyboardists American session musicians Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Dangerous Band members Juilliard School alumni Musicians from Washington (state) New England Conservatory alumni P-Funk members People from Bellingham, Washington People from Hampton, New Jersey People from Long Branch, New Jersey Musicians from Plainfield, New Jersey Talking Heads The Golden Palominos members The Pretenders members Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains members Praxis (band) members 21st-century American keyboardists Deadline (band) members 20th-century American keyboardists Gramavision Records artists