George Clinton (funk musician)
George Edward Clinton was born on the 22nd of July 1941 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey during his teen years. A barbershop called Silk Palace stood at 216 Plainfield Avenue in that town. Clinton owned part of this shop and used it as a creative hub for his early doo-wop group. The Parliaments formed there while he straightened hair for customers. Local singers and musicians gathered at the Silk Palace throughout the 1950s and 1960s. This space became known as the hangout for all the local singers and musicians in Plainfield's music scene. Sammy Campbell and Ron Taylor were two individuals whose extensive music careers revolved around the Del Larks. They performed alongside Clinton in these early days before fame arrived.
Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic dominated Black music during the 1970s with more than 40 R&B hit singles. Three of those singles reached number one on the charts. Three platinum albums followed their initial commercial failure. The collective combined elements from Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, Frank Zappa, and James Brown. They explored various sounds, technology, and lyricism to create an influential form of funk music. From 1971 to late 1973, Clinton and several other members settled in Toronto. They honed their live show and recorded America Eats Its Young during that time. Bootsy Collins appeared on this album for the first time. The group drew on Afrofuturism, outlandish fashion, psychedelia, and surreal humor to define their unique sound. Their work established them as innovators alongside James Brown and Sly Stone.
PolyGram acquired Parliament's label Casablanca Records in the 1980s. This acquisition triggered legal difficulties arising from copyright disputes with Bridgeport Music. Clinton claims fraudulently obtained copyrights to many of his recordings caused financial struggles. Multiple legal problems marred this period of his career despite recording several solo albums. Capitol Records signed him under two names: his own as a solo artist and as the P-Funk All-Stars. He released Computer Games in 1982 under his own name. The single Loopzilla hit the Top 20 on the R&B charts. Atomic Dog reached number one R&B and number 101 on the pop chart. Three more studio albums followed including You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish and Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends. A live album titled Mothership Connection came from Houston, Texas. Charting singles included Nubian Nut, Last Dance, and Do Fries Go with That Shake?.
Rapper Dr. Dre often sampled Clinton's music to help bring about the G-funk era. Clinton collaborated with Tupac Shakur on Can't C Me from the album All Eyez on Me. Ice Cube worked with him on Bop Gun One Nation which sampled Funkadelic's earlier hit One Nation Under a Groove. Outkast featured him on Synthesizer from Aquemini. Redman included him on J.U.M.P. from Malpractice. Souls of Mischief used his work for Mama Knows Best from Trilogy: Conflict, Climax, Resolution. Killah Priest collaborated on Come With me from Priesthood. Wu-Tang Clan featured him on Wolves from 8 Diagrams. Snoop Doggy Dogg included G-Funk Intro from Doggystyle in 1993. Clinton remarked in 1996 that sampling his stuff was a good way to get paid at his age. He noted you don't buy as much pussy or drugs with money but just buy some.
Clinton appeared in films such as Graffiti Bridge in 1990 and House Party also in 1990. PCU came out in 1994 while Good Burger arrived in 1997. The Breaks followed in 1999. He hosted Cosmic Slop in 1994 as an anthology television film. Space Ghost Coast to Coast featured him as himself in 1997. His voice became the Funktipus DJ of Bounce FM radio station in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas released in 2004. Clinton received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in May 2012. He joined the college's P-Funk Ensemble to perform hits like Testify, Give Up the Funk, and One Nation Under a Groove. Longtime horn players Bennie Cowan and Greg Thomas accompanied him during this performance. Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 alongside 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards were given to him and Parliament-Funkadelic on the 11th of May 2019.
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Common questions
When and where was George Clinton born?
George Edward Clinton was born on the 22nd of July 1941 in Kannapolis, North Carolina. He grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey during his teen years.
What role did the Silk Palace barbershop play in George Clinton's early career?
Clinton owned part of the Silk Palace at 216 Plainfield Avenue and used it as a creative hub for his early doo-wop group The Parliaments. Local singers and musicians gathered there throughout the 1950s and 1960s to form the foundation of his music scene.
How long did George Clinton live in Toronto and what album was recorded there?
From 1971 to late 1973, Clinton and several other members settled in Toronto to hone their live show and record America Eats Its Young. Bootsy Collins appeared on this album for the first time while the group drew on Afrofuturism and psychedelia.
Which songs by George Clinton reached number one on the charts after he signed with Capitol Records?
The single Atomic Dog reached number one R&B and number 101 on the pop chart following his signing with Capitol Records. His earlier work with Parliament-Funkadelic also included three platinum albums that followed initial commercial failure.
Who are some rappers who sampled George Clinton's music during the G-funk era?
Rapper Dr. Dre often sampled Clinton's music to help bring about the G-funk era starting in 1993. Other artists including Tupac Shakur, Ice Cube, Outkast, Redman, Souls of Mischief, Killah Priest, Wu-Tang Clan, and Snoop Doggy Dogg collaborated with him or used his tracks.
When did George Clinton receive an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music?
Clinton received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music in May 2012. He joined the college's P-Funk Ensemble to perform hits like Testify, Give Up the Funk, and One Nation Under a Groove alongside longtime horn players Bennie Cowan and Greg Thomas.