Calvin Simon, a founding member and vocalist/percussionist of Parliament-Funkadelic, died on Thursday at age 79. Via Pitchfork, the news came via P-Funk members Bootsy Collins and George Clinton. “Rest in peace to my P-Funk brother Mr. Calvin Simon, longtime Parliament-Funkadelic vocalist,” wrote Clinton on Facebook. “Fly on Calvin!” Collins wrote on Instagram: “We lost another Original member of Parliament/Funkadelic. A friend, bandmate & a cool classic guy.”
Born in Beckley, West Virginia on May 22, 1942, Simon was a member of The Parliaments, the doo-wop group formed by George Clinton in ’50s that evolved into Parliament and Funkadelic in the late-’60s. He appeared on such classic albums as Maggot Brain, Free Your Mind… and Your Ass Will Follow, Mothership Connection and more, and was a member till 1977. Calvin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 along with 15 other members of P-Funk.
Ride easy, Calvin.
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