Garry Shider | |
|---|---|
 Shider in 1978, as part of the Funkentelechy tour. | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Diaper Man Starchild Cholly |
| Born | Garry Marshall Shider (1953-07-24)July 24, 1953 Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 16, 2010(2010-06-16) (aged 56) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1971–2010 |
Garry Marshall Shider (July 24, 1953 – June 16, 2010) was an American musician and guitarist. He was musical director of theP-Funk All-Stars for much of their history. He was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, with fifteen other members ofParliament-Funkadelic.
Shider was born inPlainfield, New Jersey. At the age of ten and under the guidance of his father Jesse, Garry and his brothers played and sang behind manygospel artists of the time including legends such asShirley Caesar,The Five Blind Boys,The Mighty Clouds of Joy, and others. As a youth Shider was also a regular customer at the Plainfield barbershop owned byGeorge Clinton, where the future members ofParliament would singdoo-wop for customers and counsel local youngsters. Clinton made note of the young Shider's talents on guitar and his ability with gospel singing.
By the time he was sixteen, Shider wished to escape the crime and dead-end prospects of Plainfield, so he and his friendCordell "Boogie" Mosson left for Canada where Shider married and had a son. Shider and Mosson formed afunk/rock band called United Soul, or "U.S.".George Clinton was living inToronto at the time and began hearing about United Soul from people in the local music business, and took the band under his wing upon learning that Shider was a member.
In 1971, Clinton produced several tracks by United Soul with input from members ofFunkadelic. The songs "I Miss My Baby" and "Baby I Owe You Something Good" were released as a one-off single byWestbound Records in 1971 under the group name U.S. Music with Funkadelic. All the tracks recorded with Clinton in 1971 were released by Westbound in 2009 as the albumU.S. Music With Funkadelic. After producing United Soul, Clinton then invited Shider and Mosson to joinParliament-Funkadelic. Two United Soul songs were rerecorded on later Funkadelic albums with Shider as a member. Clinton groomed Shider for an important role in theP-Funk roster, which Shider joined full-time in 1972. He was a prominent contributor to albums by bothParliament andFunkadelic until the dissolution of those two bands in the early 1980s, after which he continued to work regularly with Clinton'sP-Funk All-Stars.
DuringParliament-Funkadelic performances, Shider was known for appearing in a diaper, making him instantly recognizable on stage and earning him the nickname "Diaper Man". Shider is featured prominently in many hit songs like "Cosmic Slop," "Getting to Know You," and "One Nation Under a Groove". He co-wrote many noteworthyParliament-Funkadelic songs, and he made important contributions toP-Funk spin-off acts includingBootsy Collins andEddie Hazel.
Shider has been featured inGuitar Player Magazine three times, and once in the Japanese version. He has been featured inWho's Who in Music and appeared on a compilation album byPaul Shaffer of theDavid Letterman band, and also on rock groupThe Black Crowes' 1996 albumThree Snakes and One Charm. Shider has also appeared onSaturday Night Live several times, theLate Show with David Letterman,The Arsenio Hall Show,New York Undercover,The Tonight Show, and others. He appeared in the filmsPCU andThe Night Before; both of which included songs he wrote and performed. He has also had songs featured in the filmBad Boys, withSean Penn, as well as being the recipient of severalGrammy nominations for songs like "Stomp" byKirk Franklin, which used "One Nation Under a Groove" as its musical inspiration. The song won Song of the Year at theGMA Dove Awards.
Shider released a solo single in 1988 entitled "Beautiful".[1][2] The attempt to reconcileP-Funk's distinct sound with that of late-80s synthpop yielded no chart success. He released two full albums in 2002,Diaper Man, The Second Coming[3] andDiaperman Goes Starchild.[4]
Shider was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 as a prominent member ofParliament-Funkadelic.
In 2010, it was announced that Shider was suffering from cancer of the brain and lungs. On June 16, 2010, Shider died from complications of his cancer at his home inGreater Upper Marlboro, Maryland.[5][6] He is survived by his two sons, as well as his wife, Linda Shider, a singer and songwriter.[7]