R.I.P. Clarence "Blowfly" Reid

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Jan 17, 2016

Just days after it was announced by Blowfly's manager that the singer was suffering from terminal liver cancer, the artist has died. He was 76 years old.

Manager and musical collaborator Tom Bowker used Blowfly's official Facebook page to announce the passing of his friend. As previously reported, Blowfly, born Clarence Reid, had been taken into hospice care last week in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Bowker wrote:

Clarence Reid, the genius known both by his given name and as Blowfly, the Master of Class, passed peacefully today, January 17th, in his hospice room.

His sister Virginia and I thank you for all the love you have shown this week. We also thank you for supporting Clarence's 50 + year music career - especially these last few years. We love you and will keep you informed on services and tribute performances in Clarence's honor.


Ahead of creating caped and comically profane persona of Blowfly, Reid released records under his given name. After issuing a handful of soul singles in the mid-'60s, he released his Dancin' with Nobody But You Babe full-length in 1969. Over the years, Reid would also pen songs for the likes of Sam & Dave, Betty Wright, Helene Smith, KC & the Sunshine, Bobby Byrd and more.

Blowfly's official studio debut was 1971's The Weird World of Blowfly, which contained several explicitly-themed parodies of R&B songs ("My Baby Keeps Farting in My Face"). He'd go on to record several LPs, but may be best remembered for his filthy "Rapp Dirty" single, which had also been recorded as "Blowfly's Rap" for 1980's Blowfly's Party.

As previously reported, Blowfly had recently completed an album titled 77 Rusty Trombones, which Bowker had explained is due to be released sometime next month.

Down below, you'll find a few posthumous tributes to the late R&B artist. There, you'll also find a stream of "Blowfly's Rap" and Clarence Reid single "No Way Out," a long-lost soul number that had been shelved for years prior to the Numero Group including it on 2007's Eccentric Soul: The Outskirts of Deep City compilation.
 

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