Joseph Anthony Fiddler, the youngest of five siblings, was born in Detroit on May 16, 1958, to Cleophas and Christine (Young) Fiddler. His father, a mill operator for the U.S. Rubber Company, was originally from the Caribbean island of St. Vincent; his mother, who was from Virginia, worked as a salesperson at the J.L. Hudson department store.

“Amp” (the nickname he used throughout his career which was a playground variant on his middle name) was creative, fun-loving and precocious. He was raised alongside his four siblings: Deborah (Deb), Sandra (Mystic), Charles (Chuck) and Thomas (Bubz), and with cousins that were regarded as bonus brothers: Keith (Peach) and Kenneth (Ken). Over the years, they all maintained an unbreakable bond of love, laughter and shared adventures.

Amp credited his family with instilling his agnostic attitude towards genres. “My older sister was this hippie listening to Hendrix, Bob Marley, psychedelic shit, the blues,” he remembers. “My other sister was a Motown-head. And my oldest brother was a jazz head — hardcore jazz. My dad listened to a lot of calypso and reggae. My mom was into classical.” 

Initially reluctant to take formal piano lessons in favor of experimenting on his own, Amp was never far from the family baby grand piano and ultimately evolved into a brilliant creative instrumentalist. After graduating from Osborne High School, he continued his musical education at Wayne County Community College, Oakland Community College and Oakland University. He was fortunate to study with a variety of great piano teachers, eventually crossing paths with the legendary pianist Harold McKinney, a founding member of the renowned Detroit soul jazz collective “Tribe” and a neighbor, who recognized Amp’s immense talent and began mentoring his musical genius.

Amp was captivated by the local Detroit music scene and found himself experimenting with various instruments and techniques, while creating new sounds, during any jam session he could find. Amp’s journey took a serendipitous turn, guided by the vibrant garage band culture of his neighborhood, and desired to take the risk and pursue his career as a professional composer, musician, performer and independent artist.

Soon enough he left college to go on tour full-time with R&B/Soul band Enchantment, and began playing with Detroit-based touring acts, including RJ’s Latest Arrival and Was (Not Was), where his skills continued to develop. For Amp, he maintained supreme confidence and viewed this deviation from his collegiate aspirations as the opportunity of a lifetime to rise, fly and funk things up!

Was (Not Was) brought Amp to Europe for the first time, but the globe-trotting never stopped. In reflecting upon some of his greatest experiences across his worldwide travels he listed playing at the Shrine in Lagos, Nigeria, with Afrobeat percussionist Tony Allen, and recording with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare at their studio in Jamaica for a 2008 joint project “Inspiration Information”.

Amp’s big break came in the mid-1980s when funk master George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic, impressed by demo recordings, invited him to join the band. Amp earned respect as the replacement for keyboardist Bernie Worrell, who was leaving the mothership. During his tenure with P-Funk (1985-1996), Fiddler expanded his skills on the keyboard and synthesizers, contributing significantly to the band’s distinctive sound.

During his P-Funk tenure, Amp recorded with Bootsy Collins and George Clinton for the single, “We Can Funk”, on Prince’s Graffiti Bridge album.

Amp’s greatest achievement materialized on January 11, 1991, when his beloved and only son, Dorian Anthony Fiddler (Stacey Willoughby), was born. Fatherhood fueled his passion and drive to succeed as an independent artist. Two major highlights in Amp’s life were the two big performances when Dorian accompanied him on drums, at Campus Martius Park and at the North American International Auto Show. All who know Amp, know that Dorian was the ultimate love of his life and grieved with him when Dorian passed in 2009.

Amp shared a passion for music with his brother Thomas (Bubz). In the late 1980s, they formed the group, Mr. Fiddler, conceived as a cross between Cab Calloway’s 1940’s Swing bands and 1980s New Jack Swing sound. They signed a deal with Elektra Records who released their 1990 album, With Respect.  Amp used his $10,000 advance to self-fund his dreams and built a state-of-the-art home studio, named “Camp Amp”, on Detroit’s east side.

Although the inception of “Camp Amp” derived from his collaborative approach while living in Los Angeles, his studio in Detroit later became the official “Camp Amp”, a hub for aspiring musicians. One of his most significant contributions to music was mentoring the young J Dilla, whom he introduced to the Akai MPC60 sampling drum machine. This mentorship was pivotal in shaping Dilla’s innovative approach to hip-hop production.

Amp was introduced to the pop icon Seal through P-Funk bandmate, Chris Bruce. Seal invited Amp to record piano on his new album, which went multi-platinum and included the smash hit “Kiss From a Rose”. Amp formed a friendship with Seal and the two were roommates in London during that time. While living in London he met other contemporary soul groups like The Brand New Heavies and recorded with them on their 1994 album Brother Sister.

Amp’s notoriety began to grow with his solo projects: Waltz of a Ghetto Fly and Afro Strut, testaments to his ability to blend funk with the contemporary. In 2008 he was awarded both the Heineken Independent Achiever Award and the SoulTracks Readers’ Choice Awards “Male Vocalist of the Year”.

Across his nearly fifty-year career Amp amassed a body of definitive works that resonate with hearts across the globe. With each beat, he cultivated a devoted fan base and fearlessly transformed genres, leaving an indelible mark on the global musical landscape. His legacy includes collaborations with some of the finest musicians on the planet, extending beyond P-Funk in collaborations with such notable artists as Prince, Seal, Q-Tip, Stephanie McKay, Corrine Bailey Rae, Jamiroquai and Maxwell.  He also played keyboards for numerous electronic music producers in Detroit, including Moodymann, Theo Parrish, Carl Craig, and the list goes on.

Beyond the music, Amp demonstrated a deep love for his family and curated an international village of friends and followers. A fashion icon, Amp’s style was an art. His Afro-futuristic flamboyant fashion and kaleidoscopic hairstyles painting a vivid portrait of the artist. Onstage, his presence was a force, offstage, his humility and kinship were a beacon and respite. In Detroit’s musical tapestry, he was a guiding star, known for his generosity. Bigger than life but always approachable and down to earth, Amp captivated audiences with his urban swag, skillful perfomances, unique vocals and a smile that lit up stadiums.

Amp gigged regularly in Detroit until 2022, with up-and-coming groups like Will Sessions, Duality/Detroit and Dames Brown (a female vocal trio whose debut album, for which Amp Fiddler was executive producer, will be released soon).

“He was always teaching you stuff,” said Mr. Beaubien, the founder of the band Will Sessions. “Sometimes people don’t want to share their secrets, the things that they’ve learned, but Amp was never afraid to share his lessons. Saying that he taught me a lot is an understatement. I’m forever grateful.”