Died On This Date (May 30, 2010) Anthony “Little Benny” Harley / Founding Father Of Go-Go
themusicsover Little Benny (Anthony Harley)
September 26, 1963 – May 30, 2010
Anthony Harley was a much-respected Washington D.C. area trumpet player who, over the course of his career played a key role in the city’s funk and go-go scene. Better known as Little Benny, Harley came to prominence as part of Rare Essence during the early ’90s go-go scene which also included Trouble Funk and EU. Part of the funk family, go-go music adds congas, cowbells, whistles, and band/audience chant interaction. It was a style of music that was born in Washington DC, and Harley was a significant piece of its infancy. He eventually left Rare Essence to form his own group, Little Benny & The Masters, with whom he performed up until his death. On May 30, 2010, Anthony Harley, age 46, passed away in his sleep.
Jason Rae was saxophone player and the husband of Corinne Bailey Rae. He played in a funk band called the Haggis Horns who released their debut album Hot Damn! in September 2007, and who have played with Bailey and Amy Winehouse. Rae met Bailey while he was working at a Leeds club and she was a college student. On March 22, 2008, Rae was found dead of an accidental overdose of methadone and alcohol. He was 31.
Eddie Hazel was a pioneering funk guitarist best remembered for his work with Parliament and Funkadelic. Hazel learned to play the guitar as a child growing up on New Jersey. In 1967, he was hired by George Clinton to play back-up for his doo-wop group, the Parliaments. The backing band eventually came to be known as Funkadelic and enjoyed a life both with and without the Parliaments, later known simply as, Parliament. Funkadelic released three albums with Hazel. They are considered milestones of the funk genre. A heavy drinker, Eddie Hazel died on December 23, 1992 from liver failure and internal bleeding caused by stomach issues related to his drinking. He was 42 when he died.
