Legendary singer/rapper Clarence Reid, otherwise known as Blowfly, has passed away after a battle with terminal liver cancer. There's been an official statement posted to his Facebook page.
Born in 1939 in Cochran, Georgia, Blowfly carved out a niche for himself very early on his career as the "original dirty rapper" with his first record The Weird World of Blowfly released in 1973. There was simply nothing, and nobody else quite like him. His lyrics were raunchy and explicit and his personality was so over the top that most people didn't know quite what to make of him. Nevertheless, there was a large and devoted audience for the kind of out-there art that Blowfly dealt in, and across five decades he managed to release 26 different albums.
Reports of the severity of his illness leaked out earlier this week after his official Facebook page posted a grim update on his health revealing that he'd been admitted into hospice care after experiencing multiple organ failure. In spite of that diagnosis, the post also revealed that the singer had one last album in the can, 77 Rusty Trombones, that will see release in February.
Celebrities and fans shared their appreciation for Blowfly's legacy after hearing the news:
RIP Blowfly
Blowfly's Rapp (1980) - https://t.co/wVsdsbTD5g
I had the great privilege of playing with BLOWFLY. So much joy. R.I.P. Clarence Reid.
If you've never seen it, you need to watch "The Weird World of Blowfly." https://t.co/VB0HNlKYeb
please send positive and warm thoughts to my uncle blowfly love you all
Just saw the Legend "Blowfly" has terminal cancer & is in Hospice care..Ur Dirty Raps got me thru High School in the 80's. @BlowflyOfficial
