Edwin Birdsong (1941–2019), influential funk keyboardist

Edwin Birdsong  (1941–2019) was an influential keyboardist whose funk and jazz grooves were sampled by many hip-hop artists including De La Soul and Gang Starr. De La Soul sampled Birdsong’s “Rapper Dapper Snapper” on their iconic song “Me Myself and I” and French electronic duo Daft Punk sampled “Cola Bottle Baby” on their 2001 hit “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” Birdsong was a session player who worked with Stevie Wonder and released two solo albums.