Bernie Worrell
George Bernard "Bernie" Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American keyboardist and composer. He was best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He was a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic.[1]
Bernie Worrell | |
|---|---|
 Worrell performing in Vienna in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | George Bernard Worrell, Jr. |
| Also known as | "Dr. Woo" |
| Born | April 19, 1944 Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 24, 2016 (aged 72) Everson, Washington, U.S. |
| Genres | Funk, rock, alternative rock, blues rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, psychedelic rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, producer |
| Instruments | Keyboards (piano, organ, synthesizers) |
| Years active | 1947–2016 |
| Associated acts | Parliament-Funkadelic, Talking Heads, Bernie Worrell and the WOO Warriors, Bernie Worrell Orchestra, Praxis, Tom Tom Club, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains |
| Website | bernieworrell.com |
Personal life
Worrell was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. He was raised in Plainfield, New Jersey. Worrell studied at Juilliard School. He lives in Hampton, New Jersey.
In January 2016, Worrell was diagnosed with stage-4 lung cancer.[2]
Worrell died of the disease on June 24, 2016 in Everson, Washington, aged 72.
Albums
- 1982: The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads by Talking Heads
- 1983: Speaking in Tongues by Talking Heads
- 1984: Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads
- 1984: Fred Schneider and the Shake Society by Fred Schneider
- 1985: Army Arrangement by Fela Kuti
- 1986: Horses & Trees by Ginger Baker
- 1992: Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis) by Praxis
- 1993: Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud by Julian Schnabel
- 1999: Unison by Shin Terai
- 2004: The Big Eyeball in the Sky by Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains
- 2004: The New Danger by Mos Def
- 2005: BananAtomic Mass by Munkeez Strikin' Matchiz
- 2006: Gold & Wax by Gigi
- 2007: Lightyears by Shin Terai
- 2007: Tennessee 2004 by Praxis
- 2007: Turn My Teeth Up! by Baby Elephant
- 2008: Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness) by Praxis
- 2008: Living on Another Frequency by Science Faxtion
- 2008: A New Mind by Activities of Dust
- 2008 Delicate Thing by Eric McFadden Trio
- 2010: For You, For Us, For All by Socialybrium
- 2013: "BWO Is Landing" by The Bernie Worrell Orchestra
Awards
- Independent Music Awards 2013: "Get Your Hands Off" - Best Funk/Fusion/Jam Song[3]
Bernie Worrell Media
Worrell backstage in Cologne, Germany 1998
References
- ↑ Joe Bosso. "Bernie Worrell talks vintage synths, ELP, Parliament/ Funkadelic, Talking Heads and more". Musicradar.com. Retrieved 2015-02-24.
- ↑ "Bernie Worrell diagnosed with late-stage cancer". Entertainment Weekly.com. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
- ↑ "THE 12TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED". The Independent Music Awards. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
Other websites
- The official website of Bernie Worrell
- Stranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth - the official documentary on Bernie Worrell
- Bernie Worrell collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive (currently empty)
- Bernie Worrell and the WOO Warriors collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive
- Artist Connection Podcast Interview