Steve Washington Dead at 67

Steve Washington, the influential funk trumpet player and co-founder of both Slave and Aurra, has died at the age of 67.

Washington’s death was announced on Feb. 1, with the Funk Music Hall of Fame & Exhibition Center remembering him as an “influential” and “key” figure in 1980s funk.

“Rest in eternal rhythm, Steve Washington, the fearless leader of the Funk group Slave and Aurra, and consistent collaborator with George Clinton in the 1980’s,” read a Facebook post from Washington’s frequent collaborator, George Clinton. “You will be missed immensely.”

Born and raised in New Jersey, Washington and trombonist Floyd Miller formed Slave in Dayton, Ohio, in 1975, with the original line-up including Tom Lockett Jr., Carter Bradley, Mark Adams, Mark “Drac” Hicks, Danny Webster, Orion “Bimmy” Wilhoite, and Tim “Tiny” Dozier.

The group scored their first big hit with single “Slide” in 1977, and the following year, brought on drummer/percussionist Steve Arrington, along with vocalists Starleana Young, Curt Jones, and keyboardist Ray Turner.

Slave would go on to have top 10 R&B hits that included 1979’s “Just a Touch of Love,” 1980’s “Watching You” and 1981’s “Snap Shot.”

In 1981, Washington left the band alongside Young, Jones and Lockett to form Aurra, a group originally conceptualized by Washington and which went on to include Mtume composer/keyboardist Philip Field as well as Charles Carter and Buddy Hankerson.

In the early 1980s, Aurra found success with hits like “Are You Single,” “Checkin’ You Out” and “Make Up Your Mind,” which would go on to become the group’s biggest U.S. hit at number six on the R&B chart and number 71 on the pop chart.

Aurra continued to release albums up through the 1985 premiere of Like I Like It, but the group soon became embroiled in infighting as several members were at odds with Washington over legal issues regarding the name of the band. Aurra gradually dissolved into the spinoff group Déjà with the exit of principal members Jones and Young.