Detroit icon Amp Fiddler dies after cancer battle, hailed by peers
An announcement on the famed and respected Detroit musician's Instagram page said he died after "an extensive and noble battle with cancer," describing him as a "world renowned ambassador of funk, soul, & electronic music, keyboardist, producer, Afro-futurist, and guiding force of light for so many."
Joseph “Amp” Fiddler died at 65, prompting several tributes from his musical peers.
According to Rolling Stone, an announcement on the famed and respected Detroit musician’s Instagram page said he died after “an extensive and noble battle with cancer.”
The statement referred to Fiddler as “Detroit’s own world renowned ambassador of funk, soul, & electronic music, keyboardist, producer, Afro-futurist, and guiding force of light for so many.”
“It would be impossible to encapsulate the gravity of his energy, global impact & contributions,” the statement added. “His life’s work, legacy, & most importantly…his LOVE…will far exceed his earthly presence. How blessed are we, to have experienced Amp Fiddler in this lifetime.”
Fiddler, who contributed heavily to funk, soul, hip-hop, and dance music, rose to prominence as a session musician and collaborator during his tenure with Parliament and Funkadelic. He mentored J Dilla, providing his first Akai MPC drum machine and introducing Q-Tip and A Tribe Called Quest to the future hip-hop icon.
“Rest easy brother Amp,” musician and record producer Questlove said via Instagram. “For all those talks during the Pfunk tour. For all the music. Especially of course mentoring the one who mentored us (Dilla)——thank you brother.”
Fiddler also collaborated with Prince, Sly & Robbie, Carl Craig, Moodymann, and Maxwell, according to Rolling Stone.
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Fiddler launched his solo career in the 2000s. In 2003, he released the EP “Love and War,” which was strongly related to his work with house producer Moodymann; the following year, Fiddler published his debut album, “Waltz of a Ghetto Fly.”
In 2006, Fiddler released his second album, “Afro Strut,” and in 2008, he teamed up with the Jamaican rhythm section/production duo Sly and Robbie on the collaboration LP “Inspiration Information.”Â
Fiddler’s output continued throughout the 2010s and 2020s. He released several other solo albums and collaborated with Detroit musician Will Sessions. He compiled offerings from his long-running “Basementality” series into a single CD in 2021, and in June, he collaborated with Luke Solomon on a new track, “Come On Over.”
In a 2017 Red Bull Music Academy interview, Fiddler praised his profession for allowing him to be “part of a lot of Detroit music in different ways” and described what makes the city and its historic musical output so distinct.
“We are all passionate and we are a community of musicians that respect each other and love what we all do,” said Fiddler, Rolling Stone reported. “I think what creates the love and makes the music so successful is that we are not really tripping about how much we have to pay [each other] to play on something or any of that nonsense, it’s always about, ‘I need you to do this for me, and it’s going to be great.’ Experience is the payoff for it, and the music is the pay for it.”
Fiddler’s family is accepting donations to cover funeral expenses through a GoFundMe page previously set up to help with his medical fees and recovery after surgery and a lengthy hospital stay in 2022.
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