Posted on 02/23/2017 7:32:45 PM PST by nickcarraway
R.I.P. Walter “Junie” Morrison, funk legend of Ohio Players and Parliament-Funkadelic fame, has died
62-year-old multi-instrumentalist was also the former musical director of P-Funk
Walter “Junie” Morrison, the funk legend known for his work in Ohio Players and Parliament-Funkadelic, has died at the age of 62. Morrison’s former bandmate, James “Diamond” Williams, confirmed the news on the Ohio Players’ Facebook page.
Morrison played keyboards, provided vocals, produced and wrote for the Ohio Players during the early ’70s. He contributed to the hit albums Pain, Pleasure, and Ecstasy, and was responsible for the chart-topping hit “Funky Worm”. After leaving the group in 1974, Morrison recorded three solo albums under the name Junie: When We Do (1975), Freeze (1975), and Suzie Supergroupie (1976).
In 1977, Morrison linked up with George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic as the band’s musical director. He was only with them until 1980, but in that short time became the force behind smash records like One Nation Under a Groove, Motor Booty Affair, and Gloryhallastoopid. P-Funk fans perhaps know him best as the co-writer of one of the band’s biggest hits, “(Not Just) Knee Deep”. Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside Parliament-Funkadelic in 1997.
He released three more solo albums in the ’80s and continued to work with P-Funk in the ’90s. His last solo record was 2004’s When the City. He also contributed to Dâm-Funk’s 2015 album, Invite the Light, and received a shout-out on Solange’s Grammy-winning A Seat at the Table on the track “Junie”. Speaking to FADER about Solange’s song, Morrison said,
“When she informed me about her song, I was a bit taken aback by the surprise but very appreciative that she wanted to put time and energy into creating it … She communicated to me that she wanted to tell me the story of how much my track ‘Super Spirit’ made an impression on her and inspired her to name her creation, ‘Junie’. She wanted me to hear her creation and speak to me about it. My initial reaction to hearing the song itself was the same as I had while listening to the rest of A Seat at the Table — Wow! This young person has a whole funk load of talent. It’s all good.”
Below, find some tributes given to Morrison by his fellow musicians, as well as highlights from his career.
I liked that band. RIP
Love Rollercoaster! Being from Ohio I liked them.
I loved the Ohio Players. They were one of those groups that put the fun in funk. Lots of hits, including “Rollercoaster of Love”. Lots of brass, bass and lively rhythms.
(Not Just) Knee Deep
Written by George Clinton and Walter “Junie” Morrison
Keyboards: Walter “Junie” Morrison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN1xFZ2vfwY
Ah! 73 seconds
RIP.
Here’s a fun outtake from “Good Burger” featuring Knee Deep on the soundtrack:
Someone was murdered on tape during the recording of Love Rollercoaster! Or, that was the urban legend, anyway. :-p
Was a Funkadelic fan growing up in the Rust Belt, but every the time I danced to that song, it was only at SoCal house parties, or clubs.
The young lady from Compton who I was seeing at the time, on the other hand, preferred dancing to the GAP band. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI6tPcjNYYE
I grew up in the south. P-Funk was huge, of course my high school was half black. The theme for my senior prom was “Flashlight.”
Apparently that was just a little unusual, I’ve found out later on in life, lol.
Yes, we heard that too; I don’t know if that was true or more like as you say “Urban Legend”, like the old tale about Eddie Haskell becoming Alice Cooper.
Damn. Another funkateer gone. Last year it was Bernie Worrel, the grand master of funk keyboards.
R.I.P., Junie.
Hey, I’m from Compton! I might have known your girlfriend from back in the day. ‘Course I moved away from there long before there was a Gap Band.
I Found a Love--The Falcons (1962)
I liked the album covers.
I thought Eddie Haskell became the kid on The Wonder Years. Oh, never mind. That kid became Marilyn Manson. ;)
Parliament was one of those groups where, if you described their music to me without my having heard it, I would have said “No thanks.” But, I actually did like their music. RIP.
P-Funk salute!
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