Arlester "Dyke" Christian was born in Buffalo, New York on June 13, 1943. In 1965 he sang and played bass guitar with the Blazers, a backup band for the O’Jays. The group was stranded in Phoenix, Arizona, however, when the O’Jays couldn’t pay them. The group decided to continue to play to raise money to get home. "Dyke" was inspired by the experience and wrote "Funky Broadway" to go with a dance he invented. The rest is history. Several other artists, notably Wilson Pickett recorded it and further ensured its popularity. Dyke and the Blazers toured heavily and appeared at major venues as a result this hit song. Christian was shot to death in Phoenix, Arizona., by a deranged man in the street where he usually visited. He was just 27 years old.
Dyke and the Blazers was inducted in to the Arizona Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame
