Legendary drummer Ron Beitle, known for his work on the skins for Wild Cherry's classic hit "Play That Funky Music", has passed away at the age of 63 from cancer.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=ronald-r-beitle&pid=187499195&fhid=9908

Ron laid down the boogie and played that funky music (white boy) till he died. Till he died. Oh, till he died.

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I know the song very well, but never know the names behind it.

R.I.P. Ron Beitle  :\'(

I know the song very well, but never know the names behind it.

R.I.P. Ron Beitle  :\'(


Here is the back story on this song. In 1976, disco was going strong but Wild Cherry was still live performing rock cover songs. One night they were playing a gig near Steubenville OH, and somebody in the audience shouted out "are you white boys gonna play some funky music?"  ;D

The group then parlayed that incident into their first mainstream hit record.  8)


Decades later I was living in a Midwestern town. The local radio station would play the song "Funky Music" but they blanked out the word "white". I suppose somebody on their staff felt it was a racist thing.  ::)

Here is the back story on this song. In 1976, disco was going strong but Wild Cherry was still live performing rock cover songs. One night they were playing a gig near Steubenville OH, and somebody in the audience shouted out "are you white boys gonna play some funky music?"  ;D

The group then parlayed that incident into their first mainstream hit record.  8)


Decades later I was living in a Midwestern town. The local radio station would play the song "Funky Music" but they blanked out the word "white". I suppose somebody on their staff felt it was a racist thing.  ::)


Over the years, I always heard the lyrics as "play that funky music wild boys", and I feel that sometimes in the same song, another sounding word for funky is heard instead.

I know the song very well, but never know the names behind it.

R.I.P. Ron Beitle  :\'(


I know the song very well too.