The P-Funk Guitar Army

The first six Funkadelic albums released on Westbound Records introduced unsuspecting music listeners to a guitar wonderland showcasing phenomenal six-string benders who reflect the influences of legends that range from Jimi Hendrix to BB King. Indeed, Funkateers have been lucky enough to witness as many as five guitarists on one stage at any given P-Funk performance.

Though shut out by AOR (album-oriented rock) radio in the 1970s, the Funkadelic albums released on Westbound helped to cultivate an underground cult following that remains intact to this day. Only until the 1990s did the P-Funk Guitar Army receive their flowers from various guitar magazines. But in numerous cases, incorrect pictures of some of the band members were used to identify certain band members. Somewhat indicative of the disrespect the Funkadelic musicians have received from the rock press over the years. This article seeks to remedy that disrespect.

So at this time, we bring to you the cream of the P-Funk Guitar Army.

EDDIE HAZEL 

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, Edward Earl Hazel joined the backup band for the Parliaments in the latter part of the 1960s. When the 1970s began, Eddie quickly became the centerpiece of the Funkadelic style and overall sonic direction. It would be on the band’s third album, Maggot Brain, where the lead guitarist would experience his “Man On The Moon” moment. Widely considered to be one of the greatest guitar instrumentals ever recorded, “Maggot Brain” continues to be a part of the band’s setlist. On the band’s sixth studio album Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On, Eddie co-writes every track on the album. A distinction very few of George Clinton’s collaborators achieved. An incident on an airplane involving a stewardess would land Eddie in prison for roughly a year. Shortly after his incarceration, he would emerge with his first and only solo album Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs, released in the summer of 1977. Eddie’s last appearance on record would see him contributing two tracks (Sacred To The Pain and Pray My Soul) to the Bill Laswell-produced compilation Funkcronomicon under the title Axiom Funk in 1995.

LUCIUS “TAWL” ROSS 

Hailing from Wagram, North Carolina, rhythm guitarist Tawl Ross (sometimes spelled “Tal”) started in Funkadelic in 1968. His work with the band can be found on the first three Funkadelic albums (Funkadelic, Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow, and Maggot Brain) and Parliament’s only album for Invictus Records, Osmium from 1970. While his studio and live-based tenure with Funkadelic was short-lived, he was able to contribute two memorable tracks as a co-writer. The spiritually bombastic “Super Stupid” and the Beatles-inspired “Wars Of Armageddon”. Fast forward to 1994, Tawl Ross emerges from the shadows to release his first solo album,  Detrimental Vasoline aka Giant Shirley.

RON BYKOWSKI

Much of Ron Bykowski’s time with Funkadelic is severely under-documented. Ron enters the Funkadelic scene around 1971. Initially starting out as a bassist, Ron soon moved to guitar. He provides a memorable solo on the iconic Funkadelic track “Cosmic Slop”. His guitar work can also be found on Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On, Let’s Take It To The Stage, Tales Of Kidd Funkadelic, and the Parliament album Up For The Down Stroke.

PHELPS COLLINS 

After serving a little over a year as a member of James Brown’s JB’s and his own Cincinnati-based Funk unit, the House Guests, Phelps Collins (also known as Catfish), along with younger brother William Bootsy Collins (bass), Frankie Kash Waddy (Drums), joins Funkadelic in time for their first and only two record set America Eats It’s Young.

Four years later, he would serve as the central guitarist for P-Funk’s most successful spin-off act, Bootsy’s Rubber Band. While serving as the Rubber Band’s guitarist, Catfish was also able to lend his six-string magic to the Parliament hits “Flash Light” and “Aqua Boogie”, as well as the 1980 self-titled release Sweat Band.

GARRY SHIDER 

Arriving to Funkadelic around the same time as Catfish Collins, Garry Shider also hails from Plainfield, New Jersey. Along with bassist Cordell Mosson, Shider was a member of the band United Soul. Both Shider and Mosson contribute to the majority of America Eats Its Young. Garry Shider would go on to serve as musical director for Parliament-Funkadelic, while also co-writing some of the band’s most memorable tracks including “One Nation Under A Groove”, “Atomic Dog”, “Do That Stuff”, and “Bop Gun”. In an interesting turn of events, Garry Shider received a Dove Award (the Gospel music equivalent of a Grammy) for being the co-writer of the track “Stomp” by God’s Property featuring Kirk Franklin.

MICHAEL HAMPTON 

Cleveland, Ohio’s own Michael Hampton would take up the mantle once held by Eddie Hazel, earning him the title “Kidd Funkadelic” in the process. The mission of tearing through “Maggot Brain” night after night would now fall into his hands. Michael Hampton would emerge as the primary lead guitarist on the 1978 release, One Nation Under A Groove. One year later, he would lend his lead guitar wizardry to the number one R&B hit “(not just) Knee Deep.”His first full-length album Heavy Metal Funkason would appear in 1998.

GLENN LAMONTE GOINS 

Like various other P-Funk members, Glenn Goins led his own band, the Bags, before joining P-Funk. Glenn made his studio debut with the Funk Mob on the closing track to the 1975 Parliament album Chocolate City entitled “Big Footin'”. With the launching of the Mothership Connection/P-Funk Earth in 1976, Glenn was assigned the task of bringing down the gigantic Mothership stage prop night after night. Glenn would depart the band in 1978 and form his own Funk unit known as Quazar. Glenn succumbed to Hodgkins Lymphoma in July of that year, before the release of Quazar’s debut album.

DEWAYNE MCKNIGHT

Only a guitarist as versatile as Dewayne McKnight (nicknamed “Blackbyrd”) could make a seamless transition from Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters to the U.S. Funk Mob. Starting out as the lead guitarist for the live performances of the Brides of Funkenstein, Blackbyrd would contribute to the last P-Funk albums of the 1970s. He would co-write the track “Freak Of The Week” for the Funkadelic album Uncle Jam Wants You! and “The Freeze (Sizzaleenmean) for the Parliament album Gloryhallastoopid (Pin The Tale On The Funky). Going into the 1980s Blackbyrd would emerge as a prime contributor to various P-Funk projects including Urban Dancefloor Guerillas by the P-Funk All-Stars, By Way Of The Drum by Funkadelic, various George Clinton solo albums, Federation Of Tackheads by Jimmy G. and the Tackheads, and the Lifestyles Of The Roach And Famous by Incorporated Thang Band. Finally, Blackbyrd would release his first full-length album, appropriately titled, ‘Bout Funkin’ Time in 2009.

ANDRE FOXXE 

A trusted and devoted guitarist from the Motor City, Andre Foxxe was a member of the P-Funk Guitar Army throughout the 1990s. Sporting a nun’s outfit on stage (and a wedding dress on others), he is affectionately known as “Sista Mutha F***a”. Simultaneously, he recorded 3 studio solo albums from 1994 to 2015 (I’m Funk And I’m Proud, Myllenium and Andre Foxxe and the Psychedelic Ghetto Pimpz).

In terms of guitars, the current P-Funk touring entourage features some young guns and some resurrected Funk soldiers. Garrett Shider, the son of Garry Shider, has been playing with the band for over a decade and has already released three solo albums. Kevin D. Oliver has appeared on albums by Parlet and Bootsy Collins and was part of the P-Funk touring entourage in 1979.

Other supreme shredders that should be recognized in real time: Gordon Carlton, Harold Beane, Jerome Ali, Tracey Lewis, Tony Thomas, Bootsy Collins, Junie Morrison, Ricky Rouse, RonKat Spearman, and Kevin Shider.

-Tim Kinley

Photo: Parliament Funkadelic guitarists montage (courtesy of the author)