BLOWFLY (aka CLARENCE REID) is the caped, masked, Original Dirty Rapper, Godfather of Hip Hop, XXX-rated Funk legend, Party Record King and The Maestro of The Miami Soul Sound.
After spending the 1960s releasing dozens of singles containing sweet soul music, and hitting #7 on the R&B charts with “Nobody But You Babe in 1969,” Clarence Reid decided to fly his freak flag high. By day he had become the writer of smash hits like Betty Wright’s “Clean Up Woman,” KC & The Sunshine Band’s “Sound your Funky Horn” and Gwen McCrae’s “Rocking Chair.” Every single star who came out of the TK/Alston hit factory owed at least half a dozen tunes to Clarence Reid. So in order to wash that aroma of respectability off him, Clarence Reid donned a mask and cape, called himself “Blowfly,” and began 40 years of filthy funking with his classic Lp “The Weird World Of Blowfly.”
By the time his 9th Blowfly album, 1980’s “Blowfly’s Party” came out, Blowfly had both been banned in Pineville, Louisiana and sued by the President of ASCAP. More importantly, he became Hip Hop’s patriarch. Blowfly rap classics like “Rap Dirty” “The Incredible Fulk” and “Convoy” went on to influence every rapper from Snoop Dogg (who regularly features Blowfly on his GNN webcast) to Chuck D, Ice T, Devin The Dude, Wu Tang Clan, Kool Keith, The Jurassic 5, Slug from Atmosphere, and everyone in between. Hundreds of Rap & Hip Hop artists have sampled Blowfly’s music, including Beyonce (“Upgrade U”), Jurassic 5 (“Quality Control”), Nate Dogg (“Indo Smoke”), Willie D (“Clean Up Man”), and DMX (“We In Here”).
In 2005, after 17 years of sporadic touring with the likes of Fishbone, The Pixies and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blowfly hooked up with Miami drummer/producer “Uncle” Tom Bowker and began a 5 year spree that saw over 300 global tour dates in support of two studio albums (“Fahrenheit 69” and “Blowfly’s Punk Rock Party”) released on Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label and one Live album (“Live At the Platypussery”) . Along the way Blowfly headlined a stage the largest touring festival on earth, Australia/New Zealand’s BIG DAY OUT, opened arena dates for German megastars Die Artze, and played clubs, festivals and freak parties with the likes of: Devin the Dude, Antiseen, Bob Log III, Rudy Ray Moore, Despot, Jean Grae, Link Wray, Dizzee Rascal, Mastodon, Lily Allen, The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Girl Trouble, Fear Factory and Dead Prez.
In 2011, “The Weird World Of Blowfly” – director Jonathan Furmanski’s documentary about Blowfly/Clarence Reid’s life and 2008 world tour – was released in theaters after a world premiere at the SXSW film festival and screenings at festivals around the world. It cemented Blowfly’s status as a music icon the world over. Since the film’s release, Blowfly is stronger than ever, funking up venues with a lineup featuring Bowker and South American guitar slinger Billy “The Kid” Morales.
2012 and 2013 will see the next step in Blowfly’s 40 year +corruption of the music world. “BLACK IN THE SACK,” Blowfly’s first studio album in six years is due to drop in November 2012. It is a hilarious romp through soul music history, which hilariously perverts the work of Sam Cooke and Michael Jackson — while messing up living legends AC/DC and the Gap Band. Blowfly spares no one, even himself, with a take of his Clarence Reid classic “Chicken Hawk” entitled “Dirty Chicken.”
To celebrate the release of “Black In The Sack” Blowfly is hitting the road and teaming up with fellow freaky music luminaries including: Soul Music Icon, ANDRE WILLIAMS, dirty rap demigod KOOL KEITH, and costumed punk rock hero NOBUNNY to form three perverted musical dream teams. You’d better buckle your seat belts! The Weird World Of Blowfly is Coming To a Roadhouse near you! There is no escape!
