Bernie Worrell Of The Parliament-Funkadelic Dead At 72

Bernie Worrell has died after a battle with stage-four lung cancer, the Associated Press reported on Friday. He was 72. 

Worrell's wife, Judie Worrell, confirmed to the AP that the keyboardist died at his home in Everson, Washington. Famous for his music with Parliament-Funkadelic and the Talking Heads, fans cherished "The Wizard of Woo" for his revolutionary sound  and blend of funk and soul. 

An announcement on Worrell's Facebook page said that the keyboardist "transitioned Home to The Great Spirit" at 11:45 a.m. 

At a star-studded tribute concert for the funk pioneer  in April, many of Worrell's celebrity friends attended to help raise money for the keyboardist.  

"He’s just a wonderful spirit. I don’t think you can play like that without having that love in your soul,” longtime "Late Show with David Letterman" band member Paul Shaffer told The Huffington Post. "Anybody that likes soul music and funk music knows about him and studies him."

As news of Worrell's death spread, celebrities tweeted their memories of the keyboardist and well-wishes for his family: