Jerome Eugene "Bigfoot" Brailey (born August 20, 1950) is an American

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one mem ...

, best known for his work with P-Funk, which included the bands

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 ...

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 ...

, and numerous related projects. Brailey is a member of the

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 ...

, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of

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 ...

Career

Jerome Brailey started performing around 1968 with the R&B group The Unifics, The

Five Stairsteps The Five Stairsteps, known as "The First Family of Soul" and later "The Invisible Man's Band", was an American Chicago soul group made up of five of Betty and Clarence Burke Sr.'s six children: Alohe Jean, Clarence Jr., James, Dennis, and Ken ...

, then

The Chambers Brothers The Chambers Brothers are an American psychedelic soul band, best known for their eleven-minute 1967 psychedelic soul hit " Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions w ...

. George Clinton saw Jerome performing with

and invited him to join the

Funk Mob 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 ...

after witnessing his style and finesse on drums. He joined the P-Funk collective in 1975 during the time he co-wrote one of Parliament's biggest hits, “

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 '' ...

" with Clinton and

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 ...

while also playing on many of Parliament-Funkadelic's most popular recordings. Brailey left the P-Funk organization in 1978 due to bad management by producer George Clinton and began working closely with

Glenn Goins Glenn Lamonte Goins (January 2, 1954 – July 29, 1978), also known as Glen Goins, was a singer and guitarist for Parliament-Funkadelic in the mid-1970s. Goins is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, posthumously inducted in 1997 with fift ...

, who had also left P-Funk and started productions on the funk group Quazar which featured Glenn's brother Kevin Goins on vocals. Brailey and Goins conceived a band called Mutiny as they were finalizing the Quazar album for

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

; however,

died in 1978 at the age of 24, leaving Brailey to complete the album. He then established Mutiny and signed to

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. “Mutiny on the Mamaship” (

) the debut album, follow by “ Funk Plus The One” (

) both produced by Jerome Brailey while working alongside guitarist Donald “Lenny” Holmes and bassist Raymone Carter were the makings of collectable recordings. The albums were not far removed from the classic P-Funk style, with emphasis placed on dual lead guitar works. They were seen as successful in musical terms, though some critics complained about the lack of originality but the quality of those recordings were recognized by many. Another collection of recordings, “A Night Out With The Boys” (unavailable), Aftershock 2005 (

Rykodisc Rykodisc is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, operating as a unit of WMG's Independent Label Group and is distributed through Alternative Distribution Alliance. History Claiming to be the first Compact Disc, CD-only independ ...

) and Funk Road (Catbone Music Label) all under the group Mutiny's umbrella were introduced to the public with positive vibes and energy. Jerome is also noted for his drum style on hit recordings such as The Unifics “Court of Love” and The

“ Ooh Child”. His drum arrangements on the single " Do That Stuff", from the Parliament album The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein, in recent have been sampled by

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his Progressive rap, progressive musical styles and Social consciousness, socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most infl ...

on "The Heart Pt.3 (Will You Let it Die ?),

Childish Gambino Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American entertainer, writer, director, and producer. After working in Derrick Comedy while studying at New York University, Glove ...

on “

Boogieman The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...

" a single taken from his third studio album, " Awaken, My Love" and by Westside Boogie - Outside (ft.

Joey Bada$$ Jo-Vaughn Virginie Scott (born January 20, 1995), known professionally as Joey Badass (stylized as Joey Bada$$), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A native of Brooklyn, New York City, he is a founding member of the hip-hop collective Pro ...

) for a continuation of drum rudiments lifted from that

recording. Sequence, was an American female hip–hop/vocal trio from Columbia,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, consisted of members Cheryl Cook, Gwendolyn Chisolm, and Angie Brown Stone released the song “Funky Sound” (Tear The Roof Off) on Sugar Hill Records in 1979. Gerardo “Mo Ritmo” released the single “We Want The Funk” on

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...

in 1991 while M.C. Hammer released the single “Turn This Mutha Out", from the " Let's Get It Started" album on Capital Records in 1988. Also

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...

on the “

Doggystyle ''Doggystyle'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Dogg (then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg). It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop's app ...

” album released his most successful single to date, "

Who Am I (What's My Name)? "Who Am I? (What's My Name?)" (commonly titled "What's My Name?") is the debut single by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 11, 1993, as the first single from his debut album, '' Doggystyle'', with the record labels D ...

" produced by

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...

Death Row Records Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. Dre ('' ...

and

in 1993. All or part of the interpolation of these recordings are credited to the original song by

, “ Tear the Roof off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk)". The

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

list of “The 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time” chose Jerome “Bigfoot” Brailey as #68 for his steady kick drum, shifty hi-hat action and intricately unpredictable snare patterns. He also appeared as a session drummer with a diverse group of artists including

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

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, ...

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 ...

, Dave Stewart, and

Lucky Peterson Judge Kenneth Peterson (December 13, 1964 – May 17, 2020), known professionally as Lucky Peterson, was an American musician who played contemporary blues, fusing soul, R&B, gospel and rock and roll. He played guitar and keyboards. Music jou ...

during his career. The Mothership, the iconic stage prop made famous by legendary funk collective

, has been acquired by the Smithsonian's

National Museum of African American History and Culture The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in December 2003 and opened its permanent home in ...

in Washington, DC where it will help anchor a permanent music exhibition at the museum in 2016. Each year the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

Hall Of Fame celebrates a class of outstanding recordings at least 25 years old that exhibits qualitative or historical significance and in its 2018 class “Flash Light” by Parliament was add to the Hall list of classic recordings. Smith and Hay's release two CD's, Jazz & Jazz (Deluxe) during a series of recordings in 2017 which featured Jerome Bigfoot on many of the songs. Jazz (Deluxe) charted and became the number one ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Jazz album in the country in January 2018. With a signature for foot and snare connections during the impact years with

, The

Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

awarded and announced in December 2018 that the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to P-Funk members on May 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, CA. for their creative contributions in music. The

just recently listed the 50 greatest drummers in the Hall naming Jerome Bigfoot #48, revealing his drum style kept

rooted in the old-school,

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

-style funk on tracks like "Handcuffs", "Do That Stuff" and the Funk anthem "

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 '' ...

".Troy L. Smith
50 Greatest Drummers In The Hall of Fame
January 11, 2020.

Selected discography

Parliament / Funkadelic (1975 - 1979)

*Parliament: ''

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) *Funkadelic: ''

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) *Funkadelic: '' Hardcore Jollies'' (1976) *Parliament: '' The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein'' (1976) *Fuzzy Haskins: ''

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 ...

'' (1976) *Parliament: '' Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome'' (1977) *Bootsy's Rubber Band: '' Ahh... The Name Is Bootsy, Baby!'' (1977) *Eddie Hazel: ''Games, Dames and Guitar Thangs'' (1977) *Parliament: '' Live: P-Funk Earth Tour'' (1977) *Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns featuring Maceo Parker: '' A Blow for Me, a Toot to You'' (1977) *Bootsy's Rubber Band: '' Bootsy? Player of the Year'' (1978) *Funkadelic: ''

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 ...

'' (1978) *The Brides of Funkenstein: '' Funk or Walk'' (1978) *Fuzzy Haskins: '' Radio Active'' (1978) *Parlet: '' Pleasure Principle'' (1978) *Funkadelic: ''

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 ...

(1979) *Fred Wesley And The Horny Horns: '' Say Blow by Blow Backwards'' (1979)

Quazar

*''Quazar'' (1978)

Mutiny

*'' Mutiny on the Mamaship'' (1979) *'' Funk Plus the One'' (1980) *''A Night Out with the Boys'' (1983) *'' Aftershock 2005'' (1996) *''How's Your Loose Booty?'' (compilation) (2000) *''Funk Rd.'' (2013) *''Mutiny'' (2-CD Deluxe Edition) (2015)

As session musician

Chambers Brothers

*"Right Move" (Avco Records 1975)

Five Stairsteps

*Five Stairsteps & Cubie Featuring Clarence Jr. – "The Shadow Of Your Love / Bad News" (Buddah Records 1968) *The Five Stairsteps "

O-o-h Child "O-o-h Child" is a 1970 single, written by Stan Vincent, recorded by Chicago soul family group the Five Stairsteps and released on the Buddah label. The Five Stairsteps had previous peripheral success recording in Chicago with Curtis Mayfiel ...

" (Buddha Records 1970), Bernard Purdie or J Brailey.

The Unifics

*''Sittin In At The Court Of Love'' (Kapp Records 1968)

Contributions / Compilations

*Billy Bass Nelson: ''Out of the Dark'' (O.G. Funk) (1993) *Funkadelic: ''Music for Your Mother'' (Import / March 1993) *Liu Sola: ''Blues in the East'' (1994) *Buckethead: ''Giant Robot'' (1994) *Parliament: ''Greatest Hits 1972-1993'' (1994) *''Bootsy Back in the Day: The Best of Bootsy'' (1994) *Tawl Ross: a.k.a. Detrimental Vasoline (1995) *''The Best of Parliament: Give Up the Funk'' (1995) *Dave Stewart: ''Greetings from the Gutter'' (1995) *Jah Wobble: ''Heaven and Earth'' (1995) *Peter's Rock Mass Choir: ''Message from the Rock'' (1995) *Fred Wesley And The Horny Horns: ''Final Blow'' (1995) *Mothership Connection: ''Newberg Session'' (1995) *Funkcronomicon: ''Axiom Funk'' (1995) *Various Artists: ''Altered Beats: Assassin Knowledges'' (1996) *Parliament / Funkadelic (Live): ''1976-1993'' (1996) *Material: ''Intonarumori'' (1998) *Funkadelic: ''Ultimate'' (1999) *Eddie Hazel: ''Rest in P'' (2000) *Parliament: ''The 20th Century Masters'' (2000) *James Blood Ulmer: ''Blue Blood'' (2001) *Bootsy Collins: ''Glory B da' Funk's on Me!'' (2001) *Parliament: ''Funked Up: The Very Best of...'' (2002) *George Clinton / Parliament Funkadelic: ''Mothership Connection'' (DVD / 2002) *Snoop Dogg: ''Undercova Funk (Give Up the Funk)'' May 2002 *Dawn Sheppard: ''The Dawn Of A New Day'' (2003) *Lucky Peterson: ''Black Midnight Sun'' (2003) *Funkadelic / Motor City Madness: ''The Ultimate Funkadelic Westbound Compilation'' (2004) *Funkadelic: ''Under a Groove'' (Import / Box Set: March 2004) *Funkadelic: ''Whole Funk & Nothing But the Funk / Definitive'' (2005) *Parliament: ''Gold: Original Recordings Remastered'' (2005) *Funkadelic: ''Funk Gets Stronger'' (Import, Reissued, Remastered / April 2006) *Parliament / Funkadelic: ''The Mothership Connection Live 1976'' (2008) *''Standing on the Verge: The Best of Funkadelic'' (2009) *''Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers'' (Soundtrack Album) (2010) *Parliament: ''ICON'' (2011) *Funkadelic: ''Cosmic Funkers'' (2011) *''A Different Kind Of Christmas'': Various Artists (2012) *Jonathan Hay, Mike Smith, King Tech, Jerome Bigfoot & Various Artists - ''When Music Worlds Collide'' (2015) *Smith and Hay: ''Jazz'' (September 2017) *Funkadelic: ''Reworked By Detroiters'' (Import / December 2017) *Parliament / Funkadelic: ''Live...Madison Square Garden 1977'' (Import / December 2017) *Smith and Hay: ''Jazz'' (Deluxe) (Jan. 2018)

References

External links

*The Chambers Brothers / Right Move (Discogs

*Jerome Bigfoot Brailey / Drum Solo Artist (Drum Solo Artist.com

*The Five Stairsteps / The Show of Your Lov

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brailey, Jerome 1950 births Living people Musicians from Richmond, Virginia African-American drummers American funk drummers American male drummers P-Funk members 20th-century American drummers