In sad news, legendary R&B singer Clarence Henry Reid, otherwise known as Blowfly has revealed that he has terminal liver cancer.
The news was announced via Reid’s guitarist and manager Tom Bowker in a full statement on Blowfly’s official Facebook page.
See below for part of Bowker’s announcement.
“Dear Blowfly and Clarence Reid fans. It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Clarence has Terminal Liver cancer and multiple organ failure. He entered hospice care today.
Thank you so much to everyone who saved his house in 2014 and kept his last days comfortable. As a reward for that good deed, Blowfly has gifted us a final album, entitled 77 Rusty Trombones which comes out in February. It is easily his best album since the early 80s, and a fitting epitaph for one of the great performers of all time.
Thank you so much to everyone who saved his house in 2014 and kept his last days comfortable. As a reward for that good deed, Blowfly has gifted us a final album, entitled 77 Rusty Trombones which comes out in February. It is easily his best album since the early 80s, and a fitting epitaph for one of the great performers of all time.
If you would like to express your love and admiration to Blowfly, you may send cards/letters/photos/art to him via mail at:
Florida Medical Center ATTN: Patient Clarence Reid Room 355. 5000 Oakland Park Boulevard, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida 33313. Clarence has always been a visual person and photos/art would be most appreciated. Clarence also was interested in having a full list of every sample that’s been done on songs he wrote and performed. If you’re up for taking a run at that, you may message me here on this page.”
Florida Medical Center ATTN: Patient Clarence Reid Room 355. 5000 Oakland Park Boulevard, Lauderdale Lakes, Florida 33313. Clarence has always been a visual person and photos/art would be most appreciated. Clarence also was interested in having a full list of every sample that’s been done on songs he wrote and performed. If you’re up for taking a run at that, you may message me here on this page.”
Reid is renowned as one of the pioneers of modern R&B, funk and soul, and penned songs for a variety of other artists, including Betty Wright, Gwen McCrae and Paul Kelly before spawning his solo project Blowfly, characterised by its unique fusion of traditional funk, urban beats, and sexually explicit humour.