Let me see if you can follow the funk on this one: While entering this other Cosmatic Level, I met a guy by the name of Keith Maupin, a very persistent soul, but a very caring one, too. I was drawn to him because of his passion for his son, Matt Maupin, a soldier who was captured in Iraq four years ago. In 2008, they found Matt’s body and shipped him home. It took a toll on the family, and I had a chance to witness it firsthand. You see, while Matt was still listed as missing, the Yellow Ribbon Support Center in Cincinnati was setting up fundraisers for Matt and other fallen soldiers, and I had joined in to help out.
That’s when my eyes and heart were opened to what is really going on. I had been hung up on the War issue like most creative people. Then, when I separated the War from the Soldier and from the Families, I began to see the people who are being killed and hurt. These are people just like you and me.
So I decided to do something. I asked Ms. June Bailey from the Yellow Ribbon Support Center what I could do. She said, “Bootsy, you’ve been funkin’ around for years. It’s time you do something serious. Make a record and donate all the money so we can build this Fallen Soldiers Memorial Museum.” She explained that this would be a place where soldiers’ families could go to talk and help heal, relate to people who have the same experiences, and reflect over the material things that the Museum has collected on behalf of the family. This special place would honor all the fallen soldiers and bring together those who have let go of their sons and daughters to face that possible ultimate sacrifice.
So I said to myself, Well, I have been funkin’ around for quite some time now. The least I could do is call a few of my friends to see if they could help me by donating their talents and skills to honor a sacrifice that very few of us are willing to make. These soldiers fight for our right to party, but we forget because we are in our own struggles. We turn our backs on the very ones who are laying down their lives for us, for our country, for our kids’ futures.
’Nuff said. Come on and join me, Charlie Daniels, George Duke, and 17 other artists as we try to give back some and honor these brave men and women who stood in the gap for our country. To purchase the Fallen Soldiers Memorial CD, donate to the building fund, or learn other ways you can help, visit: www.yellowribbonsupportcenter.com
Thanks in advance to you all, and Glory Be, The Funk’s On Me!
Bootsy Collins, baba!!!
BIO
With a resumé that includes James Brown, Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy’s Rubber Band, and collaborations ranging from Bill Laswell to Buckethead, Bootsy Collins has helped create some of the funkiest music in history. For more in-depth information on the Fallen Soldiers Memorial CD, visit www.bootsycollins.com.