R.I.P., Garry Shider! (Interview from the New Funk Times Archive)

Garry Shider in Munich
(©Peter Jebsen)

P.Funk won’t ever be the same again: Yesterday, Garry Shider (56) lost his battle against lung and brain cancer (see reports by The Star Ledger and Rolling Stone). I have known Garry and Linda, his wife of 32 years, for about 25 years – one of our first meetings took place at George Clinton/Parliament/Funkadelic’s legendary live Rockpalast broadcast from St. Goarshausen/Germany (watch the video clip below, featuring Dennis Chambers, Eddie Hazel, Michael „Kidd Funkadelic“ Hampton, and Rodney „Skeet“ Curtis).

I once even acted as his ‚fashion consultant‘ 😉 : On P.Funk’s 1986 „Saturday Night Live“ performance, Garry wore a jacket I selected while clothes-shopping with George Clinton. You can see a picture in this blog entry.

When I published the official P.Funk newsletter New Funk Times from the late ’80s to the early ’90s, I did several interviews with Garry. One of them took place at his house in Atlanta/Georgia in 1989. I’m reposting it as tribute to this great vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, arranger, producer and overall funky human being.

„We’re not gonna ever quit, man, I wanna be old and in my grave, still funking!“ (Garry Shider in 1989)