Davis, original Parliament-Funkadelic singer, dies

[norml]

Davis, original Parliament-Funkadelic singer, dies

By DAVID PORTER
Associated Press Writer

July 6, 2005, 10:41 PM EDT


TRENTON, N.J. -- Ray Davis, a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic, a flamboyant 1970s funk band whose music is considered a precursor to modern rap and hip-hop, died Tuesday from respiratory complications at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. He was 65.

Davis provided bass vocals on songs such as "Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucka)," "One Nation Under A Groove" and "Flashlight." The latter two songs reached No. 1 on the R&B charts.

Under leader George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic fused R&B, jazz, gospel and rock styles combined with garish costumes and elaborate stage displays to form one of the most original bands of the 1970s.

"It started out as a doo-wop group," Clinton said in a 2003 interview at a Rhythm & Blues Foundation ceremony honoring the band. "Once we decided to change from that, we went as far as we could ... from diapers to any kind of costume that anyone might have on."



snip



http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--obit-davis0706jul06,0,4940724.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

[fortyfeetunder]

1. RIP Ray

That man could rock...his voice will live on in the music.