Biography
Eddie Hazel, Funkadelic’s founding guitarist, forged a groundbreaking blend of funk and metal during the opening years of the 1970s, an approach captured most vividly in the sprawling instrumental epic “Maggot Brain.” His near-mythic standing stems from a short, enigmatic stretch of creativity that spanned three albums and concluded with Maggot Brain, after which Hazel’s well-known struggles with substance abuse triggered conflicts with George Clinton, a period of incarceration, and a gradual decline that ended in death from liver failure. Although his recorded output remained limited—primarily the initial trio of Funkadelic LPs, the 1977 solo release, and storied concert appearances—those efforts exerted lasting influence. At the moment, Hazel appeared positioned as the natural heir to the late Jimi Hendrix among the scant number of Black guitarists who fused acid-rock techniques with R&B sensibilities. He advanced the style further by infusing his intense playing with substantial funk elements, thereby establishing a template followed by later Parliament/Funkadelic guitarists and subsequent funk-metal practitioners.
Born in Brooklyn on April 10, 1950, Eddie Hazel spent his childhood in Plainfield, New Jersey, after his mother, Grace Cook, decided against raising him amid Brooklyn’s adverse, drug-saturated surroundings, even though Plainfield itself proved comparably troubled. While she traveled regularly between the two locations for her work as a silk presser, young Eddie devoted countless hours to the guitar his brother had given him one Christmas. Beyond his self-taught instrumental skills, he performed vocals in church and, at age twelve, encountered Billy “Bass” Nelson; the pair immediately began collaborating, exchanging lessons on singing and guitar. Joined by another neighborhood teenager, drummer Harvey McGee, the three formed a group that rehearsed early-1960s Motown material.
In 1967 the already-established Parliaments achieved notable commercial traction and required a touring ensemble, prompting them to seek assistance from Nelson. Hazel, however, could not be located at the time, reportedly occupied in Newark with producer George Blackwell. Upon Nelson’s return from a brief summer tour in August, his immediate priority was locating Hazel to strengthen the Parliaments’ rhythm section. A significant obstacle remained: Grace Cook’s reluctance to allow her seventeen-year-old son to travel with George Clinton’s unconventional collective. After persistent appeals from both Clinton and Nelson, she ultimately consented.
The Parliaments resumed touring in September 1967, now anchored by the rhythm team of Nelson and Hazel. During a performance at Philadelphia’s Uptown Theater, Hazel met the venue’s house drummer, Tiki Fulwood, and the two quickly formed a close bond through post-show gatherings. Dissatisfied with the existing drummer, Nelson and Hazel persuaded Clinton to recruit Fulwood, and by the time the group departed Philadelphia the Nelson/Hazel/Fulwood lineup was installed—a unit that directly gave rise to Funkadelic.
Funkadelic essentially extended the Parliaments’ trajectory. With Calvin Simon absent due to military service and Hazel plus Fulwood now aboard, the collective discarded matching uniforms in favor of flamboyant attire or everyday clothing while shifting toward rock-oriented material propelled by Hazel’s gritty fuzz tone and Hendrix-inspired acid-rock phrasing. The transition to Funkadelic became formal once Tawl Ross joined on rhythm guitar and Bernie Worrell on keyboards, yielding the landmark sequence of the self-titled debut (1970), Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow (1970), and Maggot Brain (1971).
Maggot Brain ranks among the ensemble’s pivotal recordings chiefly because of Hazel’s guitar contributions. Its title track, in particular, endures as his defining statement—an extended, wordless lament that has remained a staple of the group’s live repertoire for decades. Accounts trace the piece to a session in which Clinton instructed Hazel to summon the profoundest sorrow imaginable, specifically the death of his mother, as creative fuel. Alternative legends link the composition to Hazel’s heavy drug consumption, the source of his “Maggot Brain” nickname. Regardless, the performance elevated Hazel’s profile and cemented his reputation for years to come.
After this peak achievement, Hazel’s trajectory deteriorated rapidly. Drug issues plagued the early Funkadelic roster; Tawl Ross was dismissed for LSD-related unreliability. Clinton likewise grew exasperated with Hazel’s and Fulwood’s escalating substance problems, at times withholding compensation to curb further purchases. These difficulties surfaced plainly on the follow-up album, 1972’s America Eats Its Young, where Hazel’s participation was sharply reduced. He instead collaborated with Detroit’s Temptations, supplying guitar and songwriting to Zoom (1973) and Song for You (1975).
Hazel’s drug-related troubles culminated in 1974 with criminal charges stemming from an airline altercation in which he assaulted a stewardess. During his absence Clinton brought in the formidable pairing of Garry Shider and Ron Brylowski, later adding Michael Hampton, the teenage prodigy who had impressed the band by replicating “Maggot Brain” note-for-note at a Cleveland gathering. Hazel rejoined for 1974’s Standing on the Verge of Getting It On, delivering robust guitar work and sharing songwriting credits with George Clinton on multiple tracks, yet on the subsequent release, Let’s Take It to the Stage, he occupied a supporting position behind the incoming Parliament-Funkadelic guitarists.
Although Hazel’s involvement with Parliament-Funkadelic had lessened by the late 1970s, Clinton nevertheless arranged a solo opportunity on Warner Brothers, resulting in 1977’s Games, Dames and Guitar Things. The record included interpretations of “California Dreamin’” and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” together with several compositions by Clinton and Bootsy Collins. All nine tracks spotlight Hazel’s lead guitar alongside extensive backing vocals from the Brides of Funkenstein. Long prized by collectors as a scarce vinyl-only issue, the album stands among the stronger late-1970s P-Funk projects thanks to its emphasis on guitar textures.
Hazel maintained an association with Clinton in subsequent years, though his input remained modest, and he gradually receded from view while contending with persistent stomach ailments. He died on December 23, 1992, from internal bleeding and liver failure. Two posthumous compilations of unreleased recordings followed: Jams from the Heart appeared first in 1994 as a concise four-song EP, later overshadowed by the 2000 import Rest in P, which gathered the earlier material plus additional vault discoveries. In 2004 Rhino Homemade reissued Games, Dames and Guitar Things, appending the Jams from the Heart EP as bonus content.
Born in Brooklyn on April 10, 1950, Eddie Hazel spent his childhood in Plainfield, New Jersey, after his mother, Grace Cook, decided against raising him amid Brooklyn’s adverse, drug-saturated surroundings, even though Plainfield itself proved comparably troubled. While she traveled regularly between the two locations for her work as a silk presser, young Eddie devoted countless hours to the guitar his brother had given him one Christmas. Beyond his self-taught instrumental skills, he performed vocals in church and, at age twelve, encountered Billy “Bass” Nelson; the pair immediately began collaborating, exchanging lessons on singing and guitar. Joined by another neighborhood teenager, drummer Harvey McGee, the three formed a group that rehearsed early-1960s Motown material.
In 1967 the already-established Parliaments achieved notable commercial traction and required a touring ensemble, prompting them to seek assistance from Nelson. Hazel, however, could not be located at the time, reportedly occupied in Newark with producer George Blackwell. Upon Nelson’s return from a brief summer tour in August, his immediate priority was locating Hazel to strengthen the Parliaments’ rhythm section. A significant obstacle remained: Grace Cook’s reluctance to allow her seventeen-year-old son to travel with George Clinton’s unconventional collective. After persistent appeals from both Clinton and Nelson, she ultimately consented.
The Parliaments resumed touring in September 1967, now anchored by the rhythm team of Nelson and Hazel. During a performance at Philadelphia’s Uptown Theater, Hazel met the venue’s house drummer, Tiki Fulwood, and the two quickly formed a close bond through post-show gatherings. Dissatisfied with the existing drummer, Nelson and Hazel persuaded Clinton to recruit Fulwood, and by the time the group departed Philadelphia the Nelson/Hazel/Fulwood lineup was installed—a unit that directly gave rise to Funkadelic.
Funkadelic essentially extended the Parliaments’ trajectory. With Calvin Simon absent due to military service and Hazel plus Fulwood now aboard, the collective discarded matching uniforms in favor of flamboyant attire or everyday clothing while shifting toward rock-oriented material propelled by Hazel’s gritty fuzz tone and Hendrix-inspired acid-rock phrasing. The transition to Funkadelic became formal once Tawl Ross joined on rhythm guitar and Bernie Worrell on keyboards, yielding the landmark sequence of the self-titled debut (1970), Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow (1970), and Maggot Brain (1971).
Maggot Brain ranks among the ensemble’s pivotal recordings chiefly because of Hazel’s guitar contributions. Its title track, in particular, endures as his defining statement—an extended, wordless lament that has remained a staple of the group’s live repertoire for decades. Accounts trace the piece to a session in which Clinton instructed Hazel to summon the profoundest sorrow imaginable, specifically the death of his mother, as creative fuel. Alternative legends link the composition to Hazel’s heavy drug consumption, the source of his “Maggot Brain” nickname. Regardless, the performance elevated Hazel’s profile and cemented his reputation for years to come.
After this peak achievement, Hazel’s trajectory deteriorated rapidly. Drug issues plagued the early Funkadelic roster; Tawl Ross was dismissed for LSD-related unreliability. Clinton likewise grew exasperated with Hazel’s and Fulwood’s escalating substance problems, at times withholding compensation to curb further purchases. These difficulties surfaced plainly on the follow-up album, 1972’s America Eats Its Young, where Hazel’s participation was sharply reduced. He instead collaborated with Detroit’s Temptations, supplying guitar and songwriting to Zoom (1973) and Song for You (1975).
Hazel’s drug-related troubles culminated in 1974 with criminal charges stemming from an airline altercation in which he assaulted a stewardess. During his absence Clinton brought in the formidable pairing of Garry Shider and Ron Brylowski, later adding Michael Hampton, the teenage prodigy who had impressed the band by replicating “Maggot Brain” note-for-note at a Cleveland gathering. Hazel rejoined for 1974’s Standing on the Verge of Getting It On, delivering robust guitar work and sharing songwriting credits with George Clinton on multiple tracks, yet on the subsequent release, Let’s Take It to the Stage, he occupied a supporting position behind the incoming Parliament-Funkadelic guitarists.
Although Hazel’s involvement with Parliament-Funkadelic had lessened by the late 1970s, Clinton nevertheless arranged a solo opportunity on Warner Brothers, resulting in 1977’s Games, Dames and Guitar Things. The record included interpretations of “California Dreamin’” and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” together with several compositions by Clinton and Bootsy Collins. All nine tracks spotlight Hazel’s lead guitar alongside extensive backing vocals from the Brides of Funkenstein. Long prized by collectors as a scarce vinyl-only issue, the album stands among the stronger late-1970s P-Funk projects thanks to its emphasis on guitar textures.
Hazel maintained an association with Clinton in subsequent years, though his input remained modest, and he gradually receded from view while contending with persistent stomach ailments. He died on December 23, 1992, from internal bleeding and liver failure. Two posthumous compilations of unreleased recordings followed: Jams from the Heart appeared first in 1994 as a concise four-song EP, later overshadowed by the 2000 import Rest in P, which gathered the earlier material plus additional vault discoveries. In 2004 Rhino Homemade reissued Games, Dames and Guitar Things, appending the Jams from the Heart EP as bonus content.
Albums
Live
