Following the death of Gary Shider in June, the funk world has lost another icon in guitarist Phelps "Catfish" Collins. He passed away on August 6 due to cancer-related issues. Collins was 66 years old.
Perhaps less famous than his younger brother Bootsy, Collins had an equal impact in shaping the sound of funk, playing guitar on classic tracks from Parliament-Funkadelic, James Brown and Bootsy's Rubber Band.
Bootsy Collins remembered the guitarist with the following statement:
Catfish was my brother, my father and most of all my best friend. Catfish was a different kind of human being, he only wanted love and peace in every situation. To me Catfish was the one that inspired me to be at one with all that is, which is everybody and everything that was created by the One. Catfish taught me that to be love meant more than just to talk about it. Sure, we all may have a great interpretation of love in our everyday language that people understand, but even a child that don't understand a word knows when he is in the presence of love with no words mentioned. That is who the Catfish was and still is. He was that word that did not have to speak in order for you to understand the depth of his being, his soul, his peace and joy.
My world will never be the same without him. Be happy for him, he certainly is now and always has been the happiest young fella I ever met on this planet. Catfish is survived by his sister Brenda, Bootsy, his two kids Carmen and Phelps the 3rd, nephews, nieces, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends and fans. Thank you all for being a part of 'The Catfish Life'; he was truly an amazing gentleman!
Thanks to Blurt for the tip.
Perhaps less famous than his younger brother Bootsy, Collins had an equal impact in shaping the sound of funk, playing guitar on classic tracks from Parliament-Funkadelic, James Brown and Bootsy's Rubber Band.
Bootsy Collins remembered the guitarist with the following statement:
Catfish was my brother, my father and most of all my best friend. Catfish was a different kind of human being, he only wanted love and peace in every situation. To me Catfish was the one that inspired me to be at one with all that is, which is everybody and everything that was created by the One. Catfish taught me that to be love meant more than just to talk about it. Sure, we all may have a great interpretation of love in our everyday language that people understand, but even a child that don't understand a word knows when he is in the presence of love with no words mentioned. That is who the Catfish was and still is. He was that word that did not have to speak in order for you to understand the depth of his being, his soul, his peace and joy.
My world will never be the same without him. Be happy for him, he certainly is now and always has been the happiest young fella I ever met on this planet. Catfish is survived by his sister Brenda, Bootsy, his two kids Carmen and Phelps the 3rd, nephews, nieces, cousins, aunts and uncles, friends and fans. Thank you all for being a part of 'The Catfish Life'; he was truly an amazing gentleman!
Thanks to Blurt for the tip.
