Calvin Simon, a co-founding vocalist of Parliament-Funkadelic, passed away on Thursday, January 6th. His bandmates George Clinton and Bootsy Collins confirmed the news with posts to social media on Friday.

Born in Beckley, WV on May 22nd, 1942, Simon spent his early years singing in a church choir before moving to New Jersey and meeting Clinton and Grady Thomas while working as a barber at 13. Simon, Clinton, Thomas, and two customers—Ray Davis and Fuzzy Haskins—joined forces and formed a doo-wop barbershop quintet, the Parliaments.

Simon continued singing with the group as it branched out into funk, R&B, and acid rock, appearing on Parliament albums such as 1975’s Mothership Connection and 1977’s Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome. The esteemed singer also appeared on albums from Parliament sister group Funkadelic, tracking vocals on Maggot Brain and Cosmic Slop. Simon, Haskins, and Thomas then left the groups in 1977 due to financial and management disputes.

Related: PHOTOS: George Clinton Brings The P-Funk To New York’s Sony Hall

The trio continued recording music under the Funkadelic moniker, releasing Connections & Disconnections in 1981, then later What Dat Shakin’ (1998) and Original P Introducing the Westbound Souljaz (2001) under the Original P moniker. Furthermore, Simon mounted a solo career in gospel music, sharing his debut album, Share the News, in 2004 on his own Simon Sayz label.

“We lost another Original member of Parliament/Funkadelic,” wrote Bootsy Collins on Instagram. “A friend, bandmate & a cool classic guy, Mr. Calvin Simon was a former member of Parliament/Funkadelic. He’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen members of P-Funk!”

Clinton added in a statement of his own: “Rest in peace to my P-Funk brother Mr. Calvin Simon. Longtime Parliament-Funkadelic vocalist. Fly on Calvin!”

RIP Calvin Simon.

[H/T Pitchfork]