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Black Merda was a funky rock band known for their blend of fuzz-toned, psychedelic blues-rock and folky acoustic passages, drawing significant influence from Jimi Hendrix. The group formed in the late 1960s and consisted of guitarists Anthony and Charles Hawkins, bassist VC Veasey (also known as Veesee L. Veasey), and drummer Tyrone Hite. Prior to their formation, Veasey, Hite, and Anthony Hawkins played in a band called the Soul Agents, where they backed artists like Edwin Starr and Gene Chandler. Inspired by Hendrix's album "Are You Experienced?", they added Charles Hawkins on second guitar and adopted the name Black Merda. The band gained some attention in their Detroit hometown, attracting interest from notable figures such as Norman Whitfield and Eddie Kendricks, and eventually signed with Chess Records, aided by psychedelic soul artist Fugi (Ellington Jordan), whom they also supported on his album "Mary, Don't Take Me on No Bad Trip." Black Merda's self-titled debut album was seen as revolutionary, although the band felt it did not capture the energy of their live performances. They relocated to the West Coast to continue working with Fugi but later returned to Chicago to record a second album. Renaming themselves Mer-Da, they released "Long Burn the Fire" in 1971, which featured a funkier sound reminiscent of early Funkadelic. Despite their initial promise, the band quickly disbanded. However

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