Tickets for a special fundraiser/tribute concert in honor of the late Cincinnati Funk musician Joel “Razor Sharp” Johnson go on sale Friday, Dec. 7 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.
Johnson, who died on Oct. 3 due to complications from heart surgery, was a keyboardist who worked with Cincinnati Funk superstar Bootsy Collins in Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy’s Rubber Band beginning in the ’70s. More recently, he’d been a member of local favorite Freekbass’ group The Bump Assembly. While accepting the 2018 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for R&B/Funk/Soul last month, Freekbass dedicated the award to Johnson and said, “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Razor.”
On Dec. 29, Collins and his wife, Patti, will emcee a “Fund/Razor” celebrating Johnson’s life at Ludlow Garage (342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, ludlowgaragecincinnati.com). The event will feature a performance by the Rubber Band, who will be joined by Young James Brown, a.k.a. Tony Wilson, the only JB tribute artist officially endorsed by the late Godfather of Soul.
Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Bootsy Collins Foundation (bootsycollinsfoundation.org) to help establish a music scholarship in Johnson’s honor.
