NPR Music has the sad news that Parliament Funkadelic guitarist and music director Garry Shider has died of cancer at 56. Shider was from the same hometown as P-Funk mastermind George Clinton, but began playing with him when they met again in Canada while part of the group United Soul. United Soul eventually got subsumed into the P-Funk empire, where Shider played a key role, lending his distinctive guitar sound to both Parliament and Funkadelic. P-Funk fans will also recognize him for his role as "Diaper Man," due to his habit of appearing onstage in a giant diaper. (Part of beauty of P-Funk in its prime was the ability to be profoundly awesome and extremely silly at the same time.) Shider stayed with Clinton until his health failed. His grooves will continue to live on.