Calvin Simon
Calvin Simon | |
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Born | Calvin Eugene Simon (1942-05-22)May 22, 1942 Beckley, West Virginia, U.S. |
Died | January 6, 2022(2022-01-06) (aged 79) San Antonio, Florida, U.S. |
Occupation | Singer |
Calvin Eugene Simon (May 22, 1942 – January 6, 2022) was an American singer who was a member of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 along with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.
Early life
Simon was born in Beckley, West Virginia on May 22, 1942. Simon was drafted into the United States Army in 1966, and served with C Battery, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery Regiment, 9th Infantry Division during the Vietnam War in 1967–68.[1]
Career
Simon started out in the late 1950s as one of The Parliaments, a doo wop barbershop quintet led by George Clinton. In 1978, Simon (along with other original Parliaments Fuzzy Haskins and Grady Thomas), left Parliament-Funkadelic after financial and management disputes with Clinton. In 1981, the trio caused confusion when they formed a new band, and released an album called Connections & Disconnections under the name Funkadelic. In 1998, Simon, along with original Parliaments bass vocalist Ray Davis, Haskins, and Grady Thomas, founded Original P, performing until his departure in 2007.
After a hiatus from the music industry, Simon turned to gospel music and recorded for his own label, Simon Says Records. In June 2004 he released an album called Share the News, which reached #32 on the "Billboard" Top Gospel Albums chart. In 2019, he and Parliament-Funkadelic were given Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Death
Simon died on January 6, 2022, at the age of 79.[2]
References
External links
- CalvinSimon.com Archived 2010-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
- Calvin Simon discography at Discogs
- Calvin Simon at IMDb
- v
- t
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- George Clinton
- Ray Davis
- Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins
- Calvin Simon
- Billy Bass Nelson
- Eddie Hazel
- Tawl Ross
- Tiki Fulwood
- Mickey Atkins
- Bernie Worrell
- Grady Thomas
- Harold Beane
- Garry Shider
- Bootsy Collins
- Catfish Collins
- Cordell "Boogie" Mosson
- Prakash John
- Tyrone Lampkin
- Ron Bykowski
- Leon Patillo
- Jimmy Calhoun
- Gary Bronson
- Michael Hampton
- Glenn Goins
- Jerome Brailey
- Dawn Silva
- Walter Morrison
- Rodney Curtis
- Mallia Franklin
- Larry Fratangelo
- DeWayne McKnight
- David Spradley
- Funkadelic
- Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow
- Maggot Brain
- America Eats Its Young
- Cosmic Slop
- Standing on the Verge of Getting It On
- Let's Take It to the Stage
- Hardcore Jollies
- One Nation Under a Groove
- Uncle Jam Wants You
- The Electric Spanking of War Babies
- By Way of the Drum
- First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate
- Live: Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan – 12th September 1971
- Tales of Kidd Funkadelic
- Music for Your Mother: Funkadelic 45s
- Motor City Madness: The Ultimate Funkadelic Westbound Compilation
- The Whole Funk & Nothing but the Funk: Definitive Funkadelic 1976–1981
- Toys
- "Get Off Your Ass and Jam"
- "One Nation Under a Groove"
- "(Not Just) Knee Deep"
- "The Electric Spanking of War Babies"
- Discography
- "Let's Take It to the Stage"
- Connections & Disconnections