Bernie Worrell, P-Funk's "Wizard of Woo" and a pioneering musician, has passed away at the age of 72.
Worrell is best known for being the keyboardist for George Clinton's funk/soul collective Parliament-Funkadelic, a band that would later inspire a future generation of hip hop and pop artists, including De La Soul, LL Cool J, Prince, and Snoop Dogg. Worrell is also known for popularizing the use of the famous Moog synthesizer and paving the way for future generations of electronic music. Worrell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Worrell announced that he had late stage lung cancer last January. News of his sickness was met with an outpouring of love from the music industry, who rallied to help Worrell and his family pay his medical bills. A benefit concert, which featured artists like George Clinton and The Roots' Questlove, was held last April in Worrell's honor.
Bernie Worrell's family is still taking donations to help cover remaining medical bills -- you can donate here. You can also buy Worrell's final album, Retrospectives, which was released just days after Worrell announced his cancer diagnosis.
By Michael Lacerna for RAPstation.com
