Steve Washington obit

Steve Washington, co-founder of legendary funk bands Aurra and Slave, dies

 

He was not on the list.

(February 1, 2026) A musical artist is considered impactful if he or she creates a band that has a run of success. But what do you say about an artist who does it twice, helping create two legendary funk groups? That was the tale of multi-instrumentalist, producer, and bandleader Steve Washington, whose creative drive helped shape the sound of late-1970s and early-1980s funk and R&B through his work with Slave and Aurra. We are sad to report the Mr. Washington has died.

Born in Newark, New Jersey and raised in East Orange, Washington was immersed in music early on. As a teenager, he toured with the Exciting Williams Brothers band, and opened for The Ohio Players. Ralph “Pee Wee” Middlebrooks of the Ohio Players took Washington under his wing, helping him gain firsthand experience with professional musicianship, touring life, and funk at its commercial peak. Those formative years laid the foundation for his versatility as both a performer and musical director.

In the mid-1970s, Washington – known by his bandmates as “Fearless Leader” – co-founded Slave, emerging from a tight-knit collective of young musicians determined to push funk forward. Serving as a trumpeter, keyboardist, and conceptual force, he helped guide the band’s musical direction, blending raw funk energy with sophisticated arrangements and emerging electronic textures. Slave quickly became one of the era’s most successful funk groups, scoring a run of R&B classics including “Slide,” “Just a Touch of Love,” “Watching You,” and “Snap Shot.” Washington’s influence extended beyond the stage, as he played a key role in shaping the band’s sound and production during its most influential years.

In 1981, Washington left with three other Slave members to form Aurra, a group that evolved from the Slave family but pursued a sleeker, groove-driven approach. As Aurra’s principal architect, he wrote, produced, arranged, and performed on the group’s recordings, often playing multiple instruments. The band found major success on the R&B charts with hits such as “Are You Single,” “Make Up Your Mind,” and the enduring boogie anthem “Checkin’ You Out.”

Across both groups, Washington proved adept at anticipating shifts in popular music, bridging classic funk with disco polish and early boogie innovation.  He also brought his expertise to the P-Funk world, playing and producing  on several projects for George Cllnton.

Washington’s work has remained influential for decades, regularly sampled by hip-hop artists, who provided a second generation of fans for the glorious sounds of funk’s golden era.