Edwin Birdsong, Funk Musician Famously Sampled by Daft Punk, Dead at 77

He was prominently sampled on Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I”
Keyboardist Edwin Birdsong
Edwin Birdsong (Michael Buckner/WireImage)

Edwin Birdsong—an experimental jazz, funk, and disco keyboardist known for his work in the 1970s—has died, Okayplayer reports. He was 77. His son, Singh Birdsong, and ex-wife, Angela Birdsong, confirmed the musician’s death on Instagram and Facebook, respectively. Edwin Birdsong’s 1979 song “Cola Bottle Baby” was prominently sampled in Daft Punk’s “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” which was later used for Kanye West’s Graduation track “Stronger.” Both De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I” and Gang Starr’s “Skills” sampled Birdsong’s “Rapper Dapper Snapper.”

Birdsong signed a deal with Polydor in 1971 following his studies at Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard. He went on to release five albums, including What It Is (1972), Supernatural (1973), and his 1979 self-titled record featuring “Cola Bottle Baby.” Though he stopped releasing his own music in the 1980s, Birdsong was a session musician who produced records by artists like Stevie Wonder, Roy Ayers, and more.

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