Obituary of Garry Marshall Shider

Garry Marshall Shider was born in Plainfield, NJ on July 24, 1954. He was the first child born to Queenolia Foster and the late Jessie Marshall Shider. He departed this life on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at his home in Upper Marlboro, Maryland at the age of 56. Garry was baptized in the First Baptist Church in South Bound Brook, NJ at an early age. He began his musical career in church playing the guitar to popular gospel tunes he learned as a child. The first song he learned to play was "Touch the Hem of His Garment" by the Sam Cooke & Soul Stirrers. He continued singing gospel with his father, Jesse Shider, brother, Tommie Shider, cousins, Neil and Archie Murphy and a close friend, Freddy Perry. They called themselves, "The Plainfield Gospel Tones". As a pre teen, Garry performed and recorded with a Plainfield group called the Admirations. They recorded "Moonlight" in 1966 on the Hull record label. As a teenager, Garry first met George Clinton in the late 1960's at a Plainfield barbershop Clinton owned where P-Funk members would sing doo-wop for customers and counsel local youths. At 16, Garry and his long time friend, Cardell (Boogie) Mossen went to Canada, where they formed a funk/rock band called United Soul. George Clinton lived in Toronto at the time. He heard about the band and took the band under his wing upon learning that Garry was a member, he helped produce some of their songs and eventually invited Garry to join in the group Parliament-Funkadelic. Garry soon became a mainstay of the Clinton's wide-ranging musical family, eventually serving as its musical director and co-writing some of Parliament-Funkadelic's biggest hits. He toured and performed with P-funk for over 36 years and was also among 16 members -including George Clinton- who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, winning recognition for their musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums and memorable live performances. In addition, he was awarded a Grammy in 1998 for co-writing the song "Stomp" performed by Kirk Franklin. He leaves to continue his musical legacy his loving and devoted wife, Linda Shider of 32 years of Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Their sons, Garret and Marshall Shider, Upper Marlboro, Maryland Tonny, his step-son Mann Hart of Landover Maryland; Jerome Jordan, Plainfield, NJ, Terray Rawles, Orlando, Florida, his mother, Queenolia Shider, Plainfield, NJ, his brothers Tommie Shider (Diana), North Plainfield, NJ, Bruce Shider, Northampton, PA, Kevin Shider, Vidalia, Georgia, Timothy Shider, Plainfield, NJ, Nathaniel Shider (Tracy), Plainfield, NJ and Darnell Shider, Kansas City. He is predeceased in death by his sister, Deborah (Peanut) Shider. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren, one uncle, Richard Staton, two aunts, Ernetha Folks and Joanne Bryant, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.