Walter "Junie" Morrison facts for kids

Walter "Junie" Morrison (born June 28, 1954 – died January 21, 2017) was an amazing American musician. He was a songwriter, a record producer, a singer, and could play many instruments. People called him a "multi-instrumentalist" because he was so good at playing different things.

Junie was a member of the famous band Ohio Players in the early 1970s. Later, he joined and became the musical director for Parliament-Funkadelic, another very popular group. He was so important to music that he was even put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997. George Clinton, the leader of Parliament-Funkadelic, once said Junie was "the most phenomenal musician on the planet."

About Junie Morrison

His Early Life and Music

Junie Morrison was born in Dayton, Ohio. From a young age, he loved music. He started by singing and playing the piano. Soon, he learned to play many other instruments. He was so talented that he became a director for his school choir and an orchestra conductor.

Joining the Ohio Players

In 1970, Junie joined the funk band called the Ohio Players. He became a very important part of the group. He helped produce their music, wrote songs, played keyboards, and sang. He was involved in many of their big hits and albums like Pain, Pleasure, and Ecstasy. Junie was mostly responsible for writing and arranging their 1973 hit song, "Funky Worm".

His Solo Music Career

Junie left the Ohio Players in 1974 to make his own music. He released three solo albums on Westbound Records. These albums were called When We Do, Freeze, and Suzie Supergroupie. On these albums, Junie played all the instruments himself! He was credited as "Junie" for these works.

Working with P-Funk

In 1977, Junie joined George Clinton's famous group, Parliament-Funkadelic, also known as P-Funk. He became their musical director. Junie brought a special sound to P-Funk. He played a key role when they were most popular, from 1978 to 1980.

He helped create some of their biggest hits. These included the album One Nation Under a Groove, which sold over a million copies. He also worked on the song "(Not Just) Knee Deep", which was a number one hit on the U.S. R&B charts in 1979. Junie also contributed to the Parliament albums Motor Booty Affair and Gloryhallastoopid. Sometimes, he used a different name, J.S. Theracon, for some of his P-Funk work.

Later Albums and Producing

After his time with Parliament-Funkadelic, Junie recorded three more solo albums in the 1980s. These were Bread Alone (1980), Junie 5 (1981), and Evacuate Your Seats (1984).

Later, Junie moved to London, England. There, he started his own record label called Akashic with his wife, Kate Garner. He wrote songs for other artists like Sounds of Blackness, Soul II Soul, and God's Property. Junie also produced music for other musicians, including James Ingram, throughout the 1990s. He continued to help with P-Funk albums, even as late as 1996. In 2004, he released another solo album called When the City on his own label, Juniefunk. From 2014 to 2016, he released several songs by himself. He sometimes used different names like BoyInSea, Micronagual, The Algorithm, Jettzonn, and Tekadelic.

Junie Morrison passed away on January 21, 2017, in London. He was 62 years old.

Junie's Solo Albums

• 1975: When We Do - Credited to Junie
• 1975: Freeze - Credited to Junie
• 1976: Suzie Supergroupie - Credited to Junie
• 1980: Bread Alone
• 1981: Junie 5
• 1984: Evacuate Your Seats
• 2004: When The City