P-Funk’s Ray Davis Dies

Ray Davis, 65, a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic, died of respiratory complications at a New Brunswick, N.J., hospital July 5th.

Davis provided bass vocals on signature hits including “Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucka),” “One Nation Under A Groove” and “Flashlight.”

Led by band leader George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

Davis was a member of the original Parliaments vocal group, formed by Clinton in the 1950s.

The Parliaments joined up with Funkadelic and other affiliated groups that metamorphosed into the flamboyant and influential P-Funk collective in the 1970s.