Few can truthfully lay claim to the term legend. Master keyboardist, Bernie Worrell, can.
From the tender age of three when Worrell began tickling the ivories... to his first concert performance at four... to his first Concerto composition at age eight, Worrell was duly certified a prodigy. His studies at the New England Conservatory of Music and Julliard School of Music endowed Worrell with an undeniably strong classical foundation, the substructure for the supernatural experimentation that was to come...
Early in his professional life, Worrell was one of the founding members of the supergroup, Parliament- Funkadelic; he co-wrote, co-produced, recorded and performed most of the group's compositions -- classics "Flashlight," "Atomic Dog," "Knee Deep," "Cosmic Slop" and "Red Hot Mama" (to name just a few) -- on its fifty-plus albums and globe-spanning tours. These songs -- and many more with Worrell's consummate musical licks -- continue to remain popular. Additionally, top rap and hip-hop artists and groups including Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Salt 'n' Pepa, Snoop Doggy Dog, En Vogue, Digital Underground, Heavy D, and De La Soul are just a few who have built hit songs around Worrell's one-of-a-kind riffs, making him one of the most "sampled" musicians, period!
While many performers may have been content to rest on the laurels of this incredible body of work, Worrell continues to flex his considerable creative and musical muscle. Worrell collaborated on critically and commercially acclaimed music projects with artists and groups including The Rolling Stones, The Pretenders, Soul Asylum, Jody Watley, Keith Richards; he provided an influential contribution on the seminal video and album "Stop Making Sense" by Talking Heads. Keith Richards notes "the rare qualities of intuition and taste -- not to mention humor -- all come together in Bernie Worrell," and David Byrne cites Worrell as "a genius."
In 1993 when David Letterman made his big move to CBS, Worrell helped launch the CBS Orchestra with Paul Shaffer. Not limited to the small screen, "The Wizard" tackled films: he co-wrote the soundtrack of "Car 54, Where are You?" (now a cult classic featuring Fran Drescher, Rosie O'Donnell and David Johansen) and other movies including the Ice Cube vehicle, "Friday."
Worrell continues to be in demand as a featured performer with Bootsy's New Rubber Band Featuring Bernie Worrell, Jack Bruce, and many others. And Worrell's solo efforts have produced critically acclaimed albums: "Funk Of Ages" (Gramavision GCD # 79460)... "Blacktronic Science" (Gramavision #GCD 79474)... "Free Agent: A Spaced Odyssey" (available via Worrell's website, URL below)...
And last, but certainly not least, Worrell has struck out in a new direction with his own supergroup project, Bernie Worrell & The WOO Warriors. He is currently taking his new band on the road to rave reviews, both stateside and abroad, touring between the recording and production schedules of a Bernie Worrell & The WOO Warriors' CD. A live album, "Bernie Worrell & The WOO Warriors Live," (also available via the website and at concerts) was released in mid-October 1998.
A testament to the popularity and longevity of Worrell's creativity, he was inducted (as one of the founding members and Musical Director of Parliament-Funkadelic) into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame on May 6, 1997.
With an incredibly productive career encompassing five decades, Bernie Worrell continues expanding his musical repertoire... sharing the legend of The Wizard of WOO... The WOO Warriors... and the WOO-niverse. Stay tunedÂ…
