R.I.P Rick James.
Yahoo / Associated press story…
Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit “Super Freak” before his career disintegrated amid drug use and violence that sent him to prison, died Friday. He was 56.
James died in his sleep at his residence near Universal City, said publicist Sujata Murthy. James lived alone and was found dead by his personal assistant, who notified police, she said.
Police and Murthy believe James died of natural causes. The exact cause was not immediately released. “There’ll be an autopsy and we’ll find that out shortly,” Murthy said.
Publicist Maureen O’Connor, speaking on behalf of James’ three children, said they believed he died of heart failure. “He passed away peacefully in his sleep,” O’Connor said.
“I think he was really fantastic, he was a creator,” singer Little Richard told MSNBC.
“He made a lot of people happy, he made a lot of friends and a lot of people got famous through his music,” he said, referring to sampling by hip-hop artists such as MC Hammer, who used the “Super Freak” bass line in his hit “U Can’t Touch This.”
The song earned James and Hammer the Grammy for best R&B song in 1990.
