by Amanda Sanchez
photo by Bill Kennedy
Even if you only know them from their smoke-filled appearance in ‘90s Jeremy Piven romp PCU, there’s no denying that George Clinton changed the scene of R&B back in the ‘70s. Taking soul music and funk and twisting it in sounds similar to Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa, the 75-year-old Clinton formed The Parliaments way back in 1955. In the ‘70s, Clinton performed under both Parliament (which was described as a funk free for all) and Funkadelic, which was more psychedelic rock-based. Collectively, Clinton had gathered together 50 musicians to assemble both of these legendarily spaced-out, groove-heavy groups. In the meantime, he has managed to acquire 40 hit R&B singles, including three number ones and three platinum albums. He has a Grammy, a Dove, an MTV Music Award, and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. But he doesn’t really care about all that. He cares about having a blast on stage. And it shows.
