Aged only 65 - dear oh dear.

Shaft? One of the classics.

Really choked up about this one. Apart from Shaft he more or less invented the whole "lurve god" soul movement with Hot Buttered Soul - Barry White followed his lead a few years later - and was a key mover in the formation of funk music as we know it; I even remember police recruitment ads in the seventies using that wah-wah guitar. And then he had his Indian summer as the voice of Chef in South Park and finally got a number one record here with "Chocolate Salty Balls."

RIP, big man.

Along with Rod Temperton (Temptations), he is perhaps one of the most influential unsung producer/arrangers. Much more to the man than "Shaft".

A legend. Big shock.

I was in France when a dj on the radio played "Shaft."

We grrooooved and "digged it", but did not get the signifigance of the airplay , I only found out the sad reason why he was being honoured on reading this thread.

A true genius. Who ever would have put wah wah guitar with strings? A magical man.