Parliament and Funkadelic musician Joseph ‘Amp’ Fiddler dead at 65
Joseph ‘Amp’ Fiddler, the keyboardist and producer best known for his work with Parliament / Funkadelic, has died at the age of 65.
The Detroit-born musician had been struggling with an undisclosed illness for just over a year but sadly succumbed overnight on December 17th. A fundraiser had been scheduled to take place in Detroit over the Christmas period.
After becoming a distinguished pianist in his childhood, Fiddler became enamoured with funk music. Later, his formal music education at Oakland and Wayne State Universities, coupled with guidance from jazz legend Harold McKinney, set the stage for a remarkable career.
In 1983, Bernie Worrell, the late keyboardist for Parliament/Funkadelic, passed a tape of Fiddler’s playing to the funk icon George Clinton. This fortuitous connection led to Fiddler’s eventual replacement of Worrell.
For ten years, from the mid-1980s to the mid-90s, Fiddler toured with Clinton and the P-Funk collective.
In 1990, Fiddler joined his brother Mr. Fiddler, to record an album together. Unfortunately, the record’s unique sound proved challenging for the label to market effectively. Undeterred, Fiddler continued making significant contributions to the music scene, often behind the scenes as a session musician and on the road with Clinton.
The 1990s saw Fiddler balancing his musical pursuits with the responsibilities of parenthood, raising his son while making sporadic appearances on stage and in the studio. His talent also caught the attention of artists like soul icon Maxwell, with Fiddler playing a pivotal role in the creation of Maxwell’s acclaimed debut, Urban Hang Suite.
As tributes begin to filter through the various social media platforms, Questlove has led the charge, posting: “Rest easy brother Amp. For all those talks during the Pfunk tour. For all the music. Especially of course mentoring the one who mentored us (Dilla)——thank you brother.”
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