The Resume

(August 22, 1936-May 16, 2012)
Born in Gaston, North Carolina
Guitarist and singer
Created go-go music from elements of funk, Latin music, soul and jazz
Known as 'the Godfather of Go-Go'
Recorded the albums 'We The People' (1972), 'Salt of the Earth' (1974), 'Bustin' Loose' (1979), 'Funk Express' (1980), 'We Need Some Money' (1984), 'Live '87 - DC Bumpin' Y'all' (1987), 'The Other Side' (with Eva Cassidy, 1995), 'The Spirit of Christmas' (1999) and 'We Got This' (2010)
Songs include 'Bustin' Loose,' 'We Need Some Money,' 'We The People,' 'Blow Your Whistle,' 'Ashley's Roachclip,' 'Run Joe' and 'The Party Roll'
Recorded the theme song for 'The Sinbad Show'

Why he might be annoying:

He began smoking at age seven.
He served eight years in prison after fatally shooting a man. (He claimed it was self defense.)
He got his first guitar in prison, swapping another inmate five cartons of cigarettes for it.
'Bustin' Loose' was the only one of his songs to break out of Washington, DC, and become a hit nationally.
'Bustin' Loose' was sampled in Nelly's 'Hot in Herre.'
He appeared in ads for the DC Lottery.

Why he might not be annoying:

His oldest son died in a car crash at age 23.
'Bustin' Loose' topped Bilboard's R&B chart and crossed over to the pop Top 40.
He received a gold record for 'Bustin' Loose' and a platinum record for his contribution to 'Hot In Herre.'
He was a Washington, DC, institution and had a city street named after him (2009).
When he was in his 70s, NPR noted he was 'still spry and more stylish than men half his age.'
He described go-go as 'like gumbo: a lot of ingredients, no fixed recipe, and no two batches are exactly the same.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 42]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [August] (Ranked: 8221936)
• Funk Musicians
• I Covered 'Fever'
• I Did Not Graduate High School [A-B]
• I Died in 2012 (Ranked: 75)
• I Earned a High School Equivalency Diploma
• I Named My Kid After Myself
• I Outlived My Child
• I Recorded Billie Holiday’s ‘God Bless the Child’
• Look at Me, I'm a Man in Shades
• Look at Me, I'm Near the Capitol
• Look at My Guitar
• My Song Hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart [1970s] (Ranked: 1979)
• My Spouse is at Least Ten Years Younger than Me
• New Musical Express' Top Tracks [1984] (Ranked: 20)
• Profiles 32751-33000 (Ranked: 32920)
• TV Theme Song Singers

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 31 Votes: 35.48% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 10 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 13 Votes: 53.85% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 102 Votes: 71.57% Annoying