Detroit-based singer, songwriter, keyboardis and producer “Amp” Fiddler, the Detroit-based singer was as beloved as he was talented.
A Wayne State University alum, Fiddler first came to the attention of R&B fans when working with the vocal group Enchantment, but really came into his own as part of the late 80s and early 90s edition of Parliament-Funkadelic.
Fiddler’s talent as a keyboardist and producer led to him becoming one of the most in-demand players for the emerging R&B and Neo Soul communities. Over a decade he worked with such luminaries as Prince, Maxwell, Was (Not Was), Jamiroquai and countless other acts. He also worked as an educator, training a generation of young artists in both Los Angeles (where he lived for a period) and then back in Detroit when he came home in the early 2000s. Most notable among them was legendary producer J Dilla.
In Detroit, Fiddler was seen as music royalty, and played a role in that city’s post-Motown re-emergence as a hotbed for new R&B music. And his albums, from 2004’s influential Waltz of a Ghetto Fly right through 2017’s Amp Dog Knights, were essential listening.
Tragically, Fiddler died in 2023, leaving an incredible legacy of music behind.
By Chris Rizik
