There seemed to be countless talented artists who played through the turnstiles of the funk shop known as Parliament Funkadelic. And we were sad to learn today of the death of one of the great ones, Joel “Razorsharp” Johnson, an amazing keyboardist best known for his work with Bootsy Collins. He had reportedly been suffering from cardiac problems.
Born in Baltimore but later based in Ohio, “Razor” joined Bootsy’s Rubber Band in 1976, and played with a who’s who of the great funk bands of the next decade, including The Sweat Band, The Brides of Funkenstein, Sly Fox, Madhouse, Zapp and more. He had most recently been touring with the funk act Freekbass. He also performed on Bootsy’s 2011 hit album, The Funk Capital of the World, and recorded several solo tracks, which he released independently.
He was another of the great funk artists who have left us too soon. Godspeed, Razorsharp.
