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Bernie Worrell | |
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 Worrell performing in Vienna in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Wizard of Woo |
| Born | George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (1944-04-19)April 19, 1944 Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 24, 2016(2016-06-24) (aged 72) Everson, Washington, U.S. |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | c. 1970–2016 |
| Formerly of | Parliament-Funkadelic, Talking Heads, CBS Orchestra, Bernie Worrell Orchestra |
| Website | bernieworrell |
George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016)[1] was an Americankeyboardist and record producer, best known as a founding member of theParliament-Funkadelic collective, and a touring member of theTalking Heads in the 1980s.[2] He also worked with such producers and musicians asKeith Richards,[3]Yoko Ono,Bill Laswell,Mos Def,Sly and Robbie,Fela Kuti andCream'sJack Bruce.The New York Times journalistJon Pareles, described Worrell as "the kind of sideman who is as influential as some bandleaders" and stated that his music "indelibly changed the sound of funk and hip-hop."[2] Worrell was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic, along with 15 other members the band.[4][5] He also appeared with theTalking Heads when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.[6] Worrell was the uncle of rapper and actorChino XL.[7]
Worrell was born inLong Branch, New Jersey, and grew up inPlainfield, where his family moved when he was eight.[1] His father was a truck driver and his mother sang in church choirs. A musicalprodigy, by age 3 he was taking piano lessons, at the age of 8 he wrote his firstconcerto, and when he was 10 years old he performed with members of the Washington Symphony of Pennsylvania.[2][8] He studied at theJuilliard School and graduated from Boston'sNew England Conservatory of Music in 1967. The school awarded him an honorary Doctor of Music degree in May 2016.[9] As a college student, Worrell played organ with an Episcopal church, accompanied a Jewish men's choir and backed local group Chubby & The Turnpikes, the ensemble that eventually evolved into thedisco actTavares.[2]
When Worrell first metGeorge Clinton, Worrell was the musical director for the R&B singerMaxine Brown.[2] At that time, Clinton, who was a native of Plainfield, was heading upThe Parliaments, adoo wop group based out of a local barber shop where he worked. The Parliaments, and their backing bandFunkadelic, moved to Detroit and were in the process of becoming two intertwind acts. They would go on to be known asParliament-Funkadelic also known asP-Funk. Worrell moved to Detroit after being recruited by Clinton, to serve as their keyboardist, arranger and bandleader. He officially joined the band after appearing on their 1970 debut albumFunkadelic.[10]
Worrell and Clinton collaborated on numerous songs, including the funk anthem "Flash Light", whichRolling Stone ranked as #25 on the 200 Best Dance Songs of All Time.[11]
Parliament-Funkadelic's futuristic sound can in large part be attributed to Worrell. P-Funk and their spin-off bands, includingBootsy's Rubber Band,The Brides of Funkenstein,Parlet, andThe Horny Horns, made dozens of records in the 70s. He played on and wrote and co-wrote horn and rhythmarrangements on recordings for most of them. Worrell playedgrand piano,Wurlitzer electric piano,Hohner Clavinet,Hammond B3 organ,ARP String Ensemble andMoog synthesizer. His unique sound and songwriting skills can be heard on such songs as: "Flash Light" (which Worrell created usingMinimoog synths), "Atomic Dog," "Chocolate City" (from the band'salbum of the same name), "Mothership Connection (Star Child)," "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)," and "Red Hot Mama."[12]
Worrell's synth lines forParliament-Funkadelic, and the associated bands, were so widely sampled throughout the 90s, specifically byDr. Dre, they became a bedrock of hip-hop and the West CoastG-funk sound.[2][13][14] Worrell's use of theMinimoog bass on the Parliament 1978 song"Flash Light" not only heavily influenced the sound of AmericanR&B music, but served as a bridge tonew wave,new age andtechno.
In 1978, Worrell released his debut solo albumAll the Woo in the World onArista Records. The album, produced by Worrell andGeorge Clinton, featured members ofParliament-Funkadelic andThe Brides of Funkenstein.[15][16]
While funk musicians traditionally utilized electric keyboards, such as theHammond organ and FenderRhodes electric piano, Worrell was the second recipient of theMoog synthesizer created byBob Moog.[17] He used theARP Pro Soloist as well.[18] Worrell played synthesizer and digital keyboard[19] on P-Funk songs throughout the 1970s, most notably "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" fromMothership Connection (1975) and "Aqua Boogie (A Psychoalphadiscobetabioaquadoloop)" fromMotor Booty Affair (1978).
In the early 80s, while P-Funk was on a hiatus from touring, Worrell was recruited to record and perform withTalking Heads, along with other musicians, such as guitaristsAlex Weir andAdrian Belew. Worrell's experience and feel for different arrangements enhanced the overall sound of the band during their groundbreakingStop Making Sense era. Though he never officially joined Talking Heads, he was ade facto member of the group for most of the '80s. He appeared on their 1982 live albumThe Name of This Band Is Talking Heads and on their 1983 breakthrough albumSpeaking in Tongues, whichRolling Stone's David Fricke credited as "the album that finally obliterates the thin line separating arty white pop music and deep blackfunk."[20]
He also toured with the band, performing in their iconic 1984 concert filmStop Making Sense. Directed byJonathan Demme, the film is considered one of the best live music documentaries of all time.[21] FrontmanDavid Byrne once said "Bernie changed the way I think about music, and the way I think about life."[22]
Talking Heads officially disbanded in 1991, Worrell was invited to perform with them as part of their 2002 induction into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.[23]
In 1983, Worrell provided keyboard parts forMtume's hit song "Juicy Fruit".[24] In 1984, Worrell co-producedFred Schneider's solo albumFred Schneider and the Shake Society and played keyboards and synthesizers on some of the album's tracks.
In 1987, he appeared onCasual Gods, the critically acclaimed solo release fromJerry Harrison ofTalking Heads. The LP featured the U.S.Album Rock Tracks chart hit "Rev It Up," which reached number seven and appeared in the filmSomething Wild. He worked with Jerry Harrison on his other releases also.
From the late 1980s through the 2010s, Worrell recorded extensively with producerBill Laswell, including onSly and Robbie's 1987Rhythm Killers, the 1985Fela Kuti albumArmy Arrangement, and two albums in the 90s with jazz saxophonistPharoah Sanders,Save Our Children andMessage From Home.[25] He became a visible member of thejam band scene, performing at large summermusic festivals, sometimes billed as "Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors," and later as "The Bernie Worrell Orchestra." Worrell frequently performed withWarren Haynes's bandGov't Mule.[26] Between the years 1989 and 2003, he appeared on severalJack Bruce albums, includingA Question of Time,Cities of the Heart,Monkjack, andMore Jack than God.
WhenThe Late Show with David Letterman launched in August 1993, Worrell was a founding member of theCBS Orchestra, playing lead synthesizer. That following November, Worrell departed once the orchestra added a horn section.
In 1994, Worrell appeared on theRed Hot Organization's compilation album,Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of theAIDS epidemic in the African-American community,[27] was heralded as "Album of the Year" byTime magazine.[28]
In 2002, after meeting at theBonnaroo music festival, Worrell joined forces with bass legendLes Claypool, guitaristBuckethead, and drummerBryan Mantia to form the shortlived groupColonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains. They released one album,The Big Eyeball in the Sky.
Around that same time, Worrell joined the rock groupBlack Jack Johnson withMos Def,Will Calhoun,Doug Wimbish, andDr. Know.[29] In 2004, the band, including Worrell, appeared onMos Def's second studio albumThe New Danger. That same year, he appeared in the documentaryMoog, about synthesizer pioneerRobert Moog. The film featuredHerbert Deutsch and several other Moog synthesizer musicians, includingKeith Emerson,Money Mark,The Moog Cookbook, and the bandStereolab.
In 2009, he joined longtime Parliament-Funkadelic guitaristDeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight, bassistMelvin Gibbs, and drummer J.T. Lewis to form the band SociaLybrium, who toured Europe. Their albumFor You/For Us/For All was released on Livewired Music in January 2010. He toured withBootsy Collins, another major figure fromParliament-Funkadelic, in 2011.
From 2011 through 2015, Worrell performed with his group, The Bernie Worrell Orchestra.[30][31][32] The band, which was formed out of a partnership with a young New Jersey producer named Evan Taylor,[33] was known for appearance of special guests at their live performances, includingBootsy Collins, Talking Heads andTom Tom Club bassistTina Weymouth, Talking Heads guitaristJerry Harrison, Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club drummerChris Frantz,Blondie keyboardistJimmy Destri,Minute Men'sMike Watt, andCaptain Beefheart guitaristGary Lucas.[34] They released two albums,BWO is Landing andPrequel.[35][36][37]
In 2012 and 2013, Worrell also played a series of concerts with rock guitaristSteve Kimock,Gov't Mule bassistAndy Hess, and vocalist-percussionist Camille Armstrong. In 2013, Kimock's son John Morgan Kimock played drums for the group.
In 2015, Worrell appeared in the movieRicki and the Flash as Billy, the keyboard player inMeryl Streep's band. The film, about a woman who leaves her family behind to join a rock band, reunited Worrell with directorJonathan Demme, who had directed theTalking Heads concert filmStop Making Sense.
In 2024,"Wave from the WOOniverse" a posthumous double-album, was released, using unfinished tracks Worrell left behind. The album was produced by former Bernie Worrell bandleader Evan Taylor and contributors includeTalking Heads'sJerry Harrison,The B-52s'Fred Schneider,Sean Lennon,Marc Ribot,Fishbone's Norwood Fisher,Mike Watt, andCibo Matto'sMiho Hatori.[38][39][40][41][42]
In January 2016, Worrell was diagnosed with a "mild form" of prostate cancer, stage-four liver cancer and stage-fourlung cancer.[43] He relocated from his longtime home in New Jersey,[44] toBellingham, Washington.[45]
A New York tribute andbenefit concert atWebster Hall, helped raise funds for Worrell's cancer treatment. Produced by theBlack Rock Coalition, the event featuring musicians and celebrities, includingMeryl Streep,George Clinton,Paul Shaffer,Jerry Harrison,Bootsy Collins,Nona Hendryx,Living Color, andJonathan Demme. It occurred on April 4 and 5, 2016.[45][46]
On May 9, Worrell's wife Judie posted an update on his condition on his Facebook page:
As of Friday, Bernie can barely speak. Tumor has grown and Recurrent laryngeal nerve is pressing on vocal cord, paralyzing it. Treatment starts Tuesday to (hopefully) shrink tumor before it gets to other vocal cord and/or shuts down breathing. VERY difficult time for him.
I am updating y'all because many asked BUT do not consider this an invitation to bombard us with treatment ideas. Bernie is deciding what treatment he wants. I will delete any more messages that do not respect his decision(s).[47]
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'."[48] 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.[48]
Bernie Worrell died at his home inEverson, Washington, on June 24, 2016, at the age of 72.[49][50] 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."[17]
Following his death, guitaristBuckethead 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".
Stranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth is adocumentary film about Worrell's life, music and impact. AtAllMovie, 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".[51]
Worrell has brought that sense of fun to millions across the globe, most notably as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic. In the upcoming weeks, his focus will be on his home state of Jersey.
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