Founding member of the iconic Parliament-Funkadelic, Calvin Simon passed away on Thursday at age 79.
Former bandmate and bassist for the all-star band, Bootsy Collins, shared the news of Simon’s passing via Instagram.
“We lost another Original member of Parliament/Funkadelic. A friend, bandmate & a cool classic guy, Mr. Calvin Simon was a former member of Parliament/Funkadelic. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen members of P-Funk!
R.I.P…Folded hands Hugging face Bootsy baby!!!?”
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Another founder, the legendary George Clinton, also announced Simon’s death via Facebook, writing, ““Rest in peace to my P-Funk brother. Fly on, Calvin!”
Simon began his musical career with the Parliaments in 1955 with singers Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins, George Clinton, Raymond Davis and Grady Thomas in the back of the barbershop where Clinton did hair. The New Jersey-based doo-wop group eventually found success in Detroit during the 60s. In 1967, due to issues with their former label– the group dropped the Parliaments, becoming the Funkadelic. The group would eventually settle on Parliament-Funkadelic recording under both names and covered multiple genres of music, including R&B, acid-rock and funk.
The band shared success with Parliament’s classic “Mothership Connection” and “Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome” and Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain” and “Cosmic Slop.”
In 1977, Simon left Parliament-Funkadelic over management and financial matters.
In his bio, Simon spoke about the group’s issues before going onstage, but he quickly stated that the band’s energy when they performed seemed to bury any animosity that formed.
“Despite the conflict prior to the show about what members would be onstage and the inclusion of non-founding members, it was an honor and thrill to receive such a recognition and to perform on stage for a crowd of my peers. It was truly amazing that despite the fact the founding members had not performed on the same stage in 20 years, they did not miss a beat! What a night!”
Years after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his former bandmates in 1997, Simon turned his life over to Christ and dedicated his talents to making gospel music.
In 2004, the singer founded his record label Simon Sayz. The West Virginia native returned to his hometown and assisted in building the Sky Baptist Church, where he became a born-again Christian.
A thyroid cancer diagnosis thwarted his singing efforts. After undergoing throat surgery, the Vietnam veteran released a gospel album titled “It’s Not Too Late.”
Simon hoped that his music and its message would have him remembered as a “good guy.”
“I hope all that have heard it will feel the love and joy of the music and the message it brings. I want to be remembered for honesty and being a good guy. And above all, a man who kept his word to share the gospels by using the gift the Lord gave him! Amen!”
Despite his challenges, Simon left an incredible impact on the music world.
