LAWRENCE, Mass.—The smiling, beard-covered face of international super producer and musician Danny Bedrosian hides the tragedy his family faced. A native of Lawrence, his family was from the Kharpert province, which was known as the “Slaughterhouse Province” during the Armenian Genocide. It was one of the epicenters of the genocide. Over two-thirds of his family were killed.
Danny’s great-grandfather Yeghia Bedrosian survived because he had already immigrated to America to make money for his family and village. Yeghia was a founding member of the Compatriotic Union of Habousi and a leader in educating the Armenian community.
His wife Serpouie was the sole survivor of her immediate family, losing her entire father’s family and her entire mother’s family in the genocide. Danny’s grandfather Garabed Bedrosian was also a genocide survivor and a leader in the Armenian community. He possessed a wealth of cultural knowledge and was a gifted painter and artist.
Like his father, he utilized his skills to educate the community and serve the Compatriotic Union of Habousi. His wife, Sirvart (Azoian) Bedrosian, was the daughter of Manoog Azoian, a genocide survivor from Sarigamish-on-the-Tigris, and Khomour Goshgarian, who was one of the most important clairvoyants in the community in Kharpert city, and later in Lawrence, Mass.
They passed their knowledge to their son Bedros Bedrosian who became a gifted pianist, choir director, carpenter, singer, and educator. Bedros then passed his knowledge and pride in his Armenian heritage to his son, Danny Bedrosian.
Danny takes great pride in his heritage. Recently he did DNA testing and learned that he is a descendant of the Orbelian Family. The Orbelians ruled areas of Armenia, the Kingdom of Georgia, and the Byzantine Empire. They are descendants of the Mamikonian family, who were the sparapets of Armenia.
It is believed that during the Safavid-Ottoman Wars, around 1415-1515, the Orbelians migrated to the Kharpert Plains. Their name was changed, which was sometimes done to protect the Armenian royal families from those who wanted to kill them off. Titles held by Danny’s ancestors included Lord of the Province of Siunik, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Governor of the Armeniac Theme, Marzban of Persian Armenia, Regent of Armenia, Prince of Taron, and Prince of Tayk.
During one of his band P-Funk’s recent tours, he played Batumi, Georgia. He took the opportunity to share a paragraph about being a direct descendant of the royal Orbelians with the audience. There was an uproar of applause from the audience for Danny’s proficiency speaking Georgian and birthright.
A Georgian news station then asked the leader of the group, George Clinton, “What is it like to have a KING in your band?”
P-Funk, otherwise known as Parliament-Funkadelic or “pure funk,” is led by George Clinton. Between the ages of 16-20, Danny met and befriended George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.
He began doing session work for Clinton and later was offered to play with Bo Diddley. After earning his college degree in Middle Eastern studies from the University of New Hampshire, he landed a job playing keyboards in the studio, and within months became a full-time musician with the band.
Danny has played with them all over North America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, East Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and New Zealand, and is featured on multiple releases and albums of both live and studio work. With Clinton, Danny has performed for crowds in the hundreds of thousands all over the world.
Danny’s talents and reputation as well as opportunities as a keyboardist with P-Funk have led him to work and play with some of the biggest artists in the world in multiple genres and industries, including Shavo Odadjian (System of a Down), Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone, Queen Latifah, Paul Schaffer & the CBS Orchestra, Erykah Badu, RZA, Snoop Dogg, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Samuel L. Jackson, Sly and the Family Stone, Ed Bradley (from “60 Minutes”), the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, members of the Meters, members of the JB’s, and many more.
Danny is also a musical star in his own right. He founded the groups Sweet Motha Child, Som’n Fierce, and Secret Army, which have released dozens of albums and had dozens of tours around the world. He also runs the production and publishing company BOZFONK.
His credits include multiple television appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon, the Late Show with David Letterman, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, the Jools Holland Show, the BET 25th Anniversary Show, the Monique Show, and MTV on five different continents, to name but a few. Additionally he has appeared on more than 80 albums, 11 DVD releases, 8 singles, 6 EPs, and 5 major book releases.
Blending music and history, Danny put together an Armenian Genocide Centennial Concert in 2015. The performance was a 2-hour epic with music spanning 3,400 years of Armenian history as well as a lecture series and a film. Danny led the lecture series himself.
Danny also proudly notes that his father’s cousin, Steve Bedrosian, is a Cy-Young Award winning pitcher who played in four World Series with three wins. During his career he played for the Braves, Phillies, Giants, and Twins. His son, Cameron Bedrosian, currently plays for the L.A. Angels.
The future is bright for Danny Bedrosian. In 2015 he released his 11th solo album entitled, “The Clock.” He has dozens of concerts scheduled for the remainder of that which include performances at the Howard Theater in Washington D.C., B.B. King’s in New York City, and the local Toad’s Place in New Haven, Conn. For more details, visit www.dannybedrosian.com/tourdates.html.
Tom Vartabedian
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Wonderful commentary on Danny Bedrosian. Looking forward to more info from the Armenian Weekly.