Bernie Worrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bernie Worrell
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Worrell performing in Vienna in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | George Bernard Worrell, Jr. |
| Also known as | The Wizard of Woo |
| Born | April 19, 1944 Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 24, 2016 (aged 72) Everson, Washington, U.S. |
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| Years active | c. 1970–2016 |
George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (born April 19, 1944 – died June 24, 2016) was an American keyboard player and music producer. He was best known as a founding member of the famous band Parliament-Funkadelic. He also worked a lot with the band Talking Heads.
Bernie Worrell is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was added to the Hall of Fame in 1997 along with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Many people called him "The Wizard of Woo" because of his amazing musical skills.
Contents
About Bernie Worrell
Early Life and Music
Bernie Worrell was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. His family moved to Plainfield, New Jersey, when he was eight years old. He was a true music genius from a very young age.
He started formal piano lessons when he was only three years old. By age eight, he had already written a concerto (a piece of music for a solo instrument and orchestra). He later studied at the famous Juilliard School and graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1967. While in college, Bernie played with a group called Chubby & The Turnpikes, which later became the band Tavares.
The 1970s: Funk Pioneer
After college, Bernie met George Clinton, who led a doo wop group called The Parliaments. Bernie moved with Clinton and his band to Detroit, Michigan. There, The Parliaments and their backing band, The Funkadelics, became known as Parliament-Funkadelic.
During the 1970s, these musicians recorded songs under different names like Parliament and Funkadelic. But when they toured, they were known as P-Funk. Bernie played many different keyboards, including the grand piano, Wurlitzer electric piano, Hohner Clavinet, Hammond B3 organ, ARP String Ensemble, and Moog synthesizer.
He also helped write songs and arranged the music for many hit recordings. His keyboard playing was a big part of the sound for bands like Bootsy's Rubber Band, Parlet, and The Brides of Funkenstein. In 1978, Bernie released his own solo album called All the Woo in the World.
Bernie Worrell was one of the first musicians to use the Moog synthesizer, a new electronic keyboard. He used the Minimoog bass on the Parliament song "Flash Light" in 1977. This sound greatly influenced R&B music and helped connect it to new music styles like new wave and techno. He also used the ARP Pro Soloist. Bernie's synthesizer sounds made P-Funk's music sound futuristic. You can hear his amazing playing on songs like "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" and "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)".
The 1980s: Joining Talking Heads
In the early 1980s, Parliament-Funkadelic took a break from touring. Bernie Worrell was then asked to play with the band Talking Heads. He brought his unique musical style and experience to their sound.
Even though he never officially joined Talking Heads, he played with them a lot during the 1980s, almost like a full member. He appeared on one of their studio albums and two of their tours. You can see him performing with the band in their concert film Stop Making Sense. In 2002, Bernie was invited to perform with Talking Heads when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1983, Bernie played keyboards on Mtume's hit song "Juicy Fruit". He also helped produce and played keyboards on Fred Schneider's 1984 solo album, Fred Schneider and the Shake Society.
In 1987, he played on the solo album Casual Gods by Jerry Harrison, who was also from Talking Heads. Bernie continued to work with Jerry Harrison on other projects.
The 1990s and 2000s: Many Collaborations
From the late 1980s into the 2010s, Bernie Worrell recorded with many different artists. He worked with producer Bill Laswell on albums for Sly and Robbie and Fela Kuti. Bernie also performed with the band Gov't Mule.
He became a well-known figure in the "jam band" scene. These are bands that often improvise and play long, creative musical sections during their live shows. Bernie often performed at large summer music festivals, sometimes with his own group called Bernie Worrell and the Woo Warriors. He also played on several albums by Jack Bruce.
In 1993, Bernie was a founding member of the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show with David Letterman. He played lead synthesizer for a few months before leaving.
In 1994, Bernie appeared on the album Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. This album was created by the Red Hot Organization to raise awareness and money to help with the AIDS epidemic. Time magazine called it "Album of the Year."
Bernie joined the rock group Black Jack Johnson, which included Mos Def. He played with them on Mos Def's 2004 album The New Danger. He also formed the group Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains with Les Claypool, Buckethead, and Bryan Mantia.
In 2009, he formed the band SociaLybrium with other musicians. Their album For You/For Us/For All came out in 2010. Bernie also appeared in the 2004 documentary film Moog, which was about the synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog. In 2011, he toured with Bootsy Collins, another important musician from Parliament-Funkadelic.
From 2011 to 2015, Bernie performed with his own group, the Bernie Worrell Orchestra. Many special guests, like Bootsy Collins and Tina Weymouth, would often join them on stage.
Bernie also worked on the Khu.éex' project, which mixed traditional Tlingit music with funk, jazz, and experimental sounds. In 2015, Bernie appeared in the movie Ricki and the Flash as the keyboard player in Meryl Streep's band.
In May 2016, the New England Conservatory of Music gave Bernie Worrell an honorary Doctor of Music degree. This was a special award for his amazing contributions to music.
Death
In January 2016, Bernie Worrell was diagnosed with cancer. He moved from New Jersey to Bellingham, Washington.
A special concert was held on April 4 and 5, 2016, to raise money for Bernie's cancer treatment. Many musicians he had worked with performed at this event.
Bernie Worrell passed away at his home in Everson, Washington, on June 24, 2016. He was 72 years old. His wife shared a message saying, "Bernie transitioned Home to The Great Spirit. Rest in peace, my love—you definitely made the world a better place."
After his death, the guitarist Buckethead released a long tribute song called 'Space Viking'. He dedicated the song to Bernie, calling him "The Greatest Music Maker Of All."
Documentary
Stranger: Bernie Worrell on Earth is a documentary film about Bernie Worrell's life, music, and how much he influenced others. The film shows his career and how even a musical genius needs to find a way to make a living.
Discography
Solo albums
- 1978: All the Woo in the World
- 1990: Funk of Ages
- 1993: Blacktronic Science
- 1993: Pieces of Woo: The Other Side
- 1997: Free Agent: A Spaced Odyssey
- 2007: Improvisczario
- 2009: Christmas Woo
- 2010: I Don't Even Know
- 2011: Standards
- 2013: BWO Is Landing (credited as "The Bernie Worrell Orchestra")
- 2014: Elevation: The Upper Air
- 2016: Retrospectives
Funkadelic
- 1970: Funkadelic
- 1970: Free Your Mind... and Your ... Will Follow
- 1971: Maggot Brain
- 1972: America Eats Its Young
- 1973: Cosmic Slop
- 1974: Standing on the Verge of Getting It On
7*1975: Let's Take It to the Stage
- 1976: Tales of Kidd Funkadelic
- 1976: Hardcore Jollies
- 1978: One Nation Under a Groove
- 1979: Uncle Jam Wants You
- 1996: Live: Meadowbrook, Rochester, Michigan – 12th September 1971
- 2008: Toys (recorded 1970–74)
- 2014: First Ya Gotta Shake the Gate
Parliament
- 1970: Osmium
- 1974: Up for the Down Stroke
- 1975: Chocolate City
- 1975: Mothership Connection
- 1976: The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
- 1977: Live: P-Funk Earth Tour
- 1977: Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
- 1978: Motor Booty Affair
- 1979: Gloryhallastoopid
- 1980: Trombipulation
Selected contributions to other albums
- 1981: Jerry Harrison, The Red and the Black
- 1982: George Clinton, Computer Games
- 1982: Talking Heads, The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads
- 1983: Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues
- 1984: Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense
- 1984: Fred Schneider, Fred Schneider and the Shake Society
- 1985: Fela Kuti, Army Arrangement
- 1985: The Golden Palominos, Visions of Excess
- 1986: Ginger Baker, Horses & Trees
- 1987: Jerry Harrison, "Casual Gods"
- 1987: Jesse Rae, The Thistle
- 1992: Praxis, Transmutation (Mutatis Mutandis)
- 1995: Jack Bruce, Monkjack
- 1995: Julian Schnabel, Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud
- 1995: Third Rail (James Blood Ulmer & Bill Laswell), South Delta Space Age
- 1996: Pharoah Sanders, Message from Home
- 1998: Robben Ford, Tiger Walk
- 1998: Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends [Gov’t Mule]
- 1998: Pharoah Sanders, Save Our Children
- 2001: Shin Terai, Unison
- 2004: Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, The Big Eyeball in the Sky
- 2004: Mos Def, The New Danger
- 2005: Munkeez Strikin' Matchiz, Wreck It (with Bo Diddley and Chuck D.)
- 2006: Gigi, Gold & Wax
- 2006: Baby Elephant, Turn My Teeth Up
- 2007: Shin Terai, Lightyears
- 2007: Praxis, Tennessee 2004
- 2008: Praxis, Profanation (Preparation for a Coming Darkness)
- 2008: Science Faxtion, Living on Another Frequency
- 2009: Eric McFadden Trio, Delicate Thing
- 2016: Joe Marcinek Band, Slink
- 2017: Jesse Rae, Worae
Awards
- Independent Music Awards 2013: "Get Your Hands Off" - Best Funk/Fusion/Jam Song
See also
In Spanish: Bernie Worrell para niños
Images for kids
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Worrell performing in Vienna in 2009
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Worrell backstage in Cologne, Germany 1998
