The Phoenix band Dyke & the Blazers picked up on the rhythms, bass and organ innovations of James Brown's band and released "Funky Broadway - Part I" in 1967, the first black dance single with the name "Funky" in the title. "Funky Broadway" was later covered by Wilson Pickett, resulting in a #1 R&B hit.

Originally from Buffalo, New York, the band got stranded in Phoenix, Arizona while backing the O'Jays.

Vocalist Arlester "Dyke" Christian was shot to death in 1971. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.