Detroit soul legend Amp Fiddler has died at 65, Faith Fanzine announced on Dec. 17.
“‘Faith’ is saddened to hear that Amp Fiddler has passed away,” the London publication posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The king of the new era of Detroit Soul. RIP.”
“Our thoughts are with his family friends and all the musicians and producers who knew him,” the X post stated.
Faith are saddened to hear that Amp Fiddler has passed away. The king of the new era of Detroit Soul. RIP
Our thoughts are with his family friends and all the musicians and producers who knew him. #ampfiddler pic.twitter.com/NXUGWFCrZs
— Faith Fanzine (@FaithFanzine) December 18, 2023
While his cause of death hasn’t been made public, fundraising concerts were thrown for him to help with his medical bills throughout the past few weeks. There was also a GoFundMe established with a goal of $75,000 to support him in 2022.
“After many months in the hospital, and now at home recuperating from surgery in August, Amp needs our resources to support his continued healing as he journeys back to the stage,” the GoFundMe description read. “Many have asked what is needed, or how they can assist. Your loving generosity is appreciated at this time. Your donations will go directly to Amp, to cover accumulated medical expenses and consistent wellness needs.”
During his career, Fiddler worked with the likes of Prince, George Clinton, J Dilla, Jamiroquai, Moodymann and Corinne Bailey Rae.
In 2022, Drake Phifer honored Fiddler for his contributions to music at the “Detroit Diaspora: Day Party Is King” event.
“It surprised me,” Fiddler told rolling out about the honor. “It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been in the music industry for quite some time. I really appreciate that people are acknowledging me for all the work that I’ve done. It’s pretty big.”
Fiddler was proud of the work he produced and also appreciated the journey to becoming a music legend.
“It didn’t happen overnight, I have to say that,” Fiddler said. “I feel like I paid a lot of dues and I was respectful at the right time. I like mentoring and giving back to the youth and doing things for the younger people in our city to help strengthen the vibe of being here and being confident about coming from Detroit.
“It was rough when I was younger because Detroit was falling apart. Now, Detroit is building, and we’ve got a lot of people who really show how amazing Detroit is with their talents and their art. I [thank] those people who recognize you when you get to this point, and you’re still working at doing some of the same things that you were doing before, it’s an honor.”
