The Detroit music community is mourning the death of funk legend Joseph “Ab” Fiedler, who has passed away at the age of 65.
According to his post to his official Instagramthe beloved performer died after “an extended and noble battle with cancer.”
The influential producer and musician is credited as an instrumental force in the career development of James “J. Dilla” Yancey. It was Fiddler who taught Dilla how to use the Akai MPC sampling machine when the two lived as neighbors in Detroit's historic Conant Gardens neighborhood.
A trained pianist, Fiddler played keyboards for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic from 1985 to 1996. A post on the official Funkateer Facebook page salutes Fiddler, “Rest in eternal musical excellence Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Joseph Anthony “Amp ” Fiddler (May 17, 1958-December 17, 2023). Fly with an amp! We love you so much!”
On his own, Fiddler worked with Moodymann, Jamiroquai and Prince, among others. His keyboard is also featured on Seal's 1994 hit “Kiss from a Rose”. In 1990 he released his first personal album With respect with the nickname Mr. Fiddler, followed by 2004 Waltz of a Ghetto Fly and more recently in 2017 Amp Dog Knights, according Detroit Metro Times.
Messages of love and condolences are pouring in from around the Hip-Hop world. Roots drummer Questlove wrote on Instagram, “Calm bro Amp. For all these discussions during the Pfunk tour. For all music. Especially of course mentoring the one who mentored us (Dilla) — thanks bro 🙏🏾 #AmpFiddler”
Dan Charnas, author of the book Dilla timeshared a message and an excerpt from his book where he explored how Dilla and Amp met.. “Some people give and ask for things in return, keep score, make sure they get theirs. Some people don't. The last group is quite rare. Joseph Anthony Fiddler was a true mentor. He transformed countless lives with his generosity. Thank you, Amp, for transforming mine. Thinking of all the people of today”.
Detroit Hip-Hop artists are very morning with many shared memories of the legendary artist.
Messages of love and respect also poured in from X (formerly Twitter).
Details of the official celebration of Amp Fiddler's life have not been released. ONE GoFundMe is actively seeking funds to cover his funeral expenses.