George Clinton is the single most influential figure in the history of funk, the mastermind behind both Parliament & Funkadelic. He revolutionized R&B during the '70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-'60s acid heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and Sly Stone. The Parliament/Funkadelic machine ruled black music during the '70s, capturing over 40 R&B hit singles (including three number ones) and recording three platinum albums.

In 1968, George formed Funkadelic in 1968, a visionary band that combined acid rock with primal funk. Funkadelic carried the torch for George’s creative output until 1972 when, in a stroke of genius, George renamed the band Parliament and signed them to Casablanca Records, while Funkadelic signed with Warner Brothers in 1976.

Clinton now had two powerhouse bands signed to two different labels even though each band consisted of the same members. As George breaks it down, “Parliament was more orchestrated with horns and complicated vocal arrangements while Funkadelic was more a straight up rock band with a heavy rhythm section.”

With the growth of funk as a vibrant musical force, George was churning out landmark hits with both acts. Parliament was hitting with dance floor jams like “Tear the Roof Off the Sucker (Give Up the Funk),” “Aqua Boogie,” “Flashlight,” and “Bop Gun.” Meanwhile, Funakdelic was also hitting hard with anthemic funk jams like “(Not Just) Knee Deep” and “One Nation Under A Groove.”

As the Seventies came to a close, George Clinton soldiered on as a solo act and hit once again with the Number One Urban smash “Atomic Dog.” Times and music changed, but Clinton remained true to the funk and recorded a number of acclaimed albums for Prince’s Paisley Park imprint as well as Epic Records in the 1980’s and ‘90’s. And George and his touring band, the P-Funk All Stars, graced the stage at the Woodstock festival as well as on a popular Nike ad during the 2002 NBA playoffs, and a show stopping live performance with OutKast at the 2004 Grammy Awards.