Dr. Felton Pilate is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is best known as a member of the 1970s and 1980s funk-R&B band, Con Funk Shun and for his work with MC Hammer. Pilate knew from a young age that music would be an important part of his life, learning trumpet, piano, guitar and the trombone. Michael Cooper, who had another local band, asked Pilate to join his band during their final high school years. This was the beginning of his career as a member of Project Soul. The band went on the road with The Soul Children and moved to Memphis, Tennessee. There they got a record deal and were asked to change their name from Project Soul to Con Funk Shun going on to record a string of hit records in the 1970s and 1980s. Pilate’s work on MC Hammer’s “Feel My Power,” “Let’s Get It Started,” “Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em,” “Too Legit to Quit” and “Inside Out” resulted in more than 30 million units sold combined.
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