Artist Research Report: George Clinton
The Life and Work of George Clinton
Millions of people strive for fame in the brutal music industry but to no avail. George Clinton, however, not only is recognized in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but he also paved the musical foundation for modern hip-hop.
Born on July 22, 1941, George Edward Clinton was given birth by Julious G. Keaton and George Clinton in Kannapolis, North Carolina. Rumors pertaining to the nature of his birth have created an online spectacle. In an interview, Clinton was asked if it was true that he was born in an outdoor lavatory, to which he calmly replied, “Sure. My mother just thought she was going to the bathroom. So I do have a legitimate claim on the funk.” (Devooy). Whether or not this family legend is true, it definitely contributes to Clinton’s later known obscure and funky presence.
When still an adolescent, his family moved to New Jersey in the 1950s where he began working at a barbershop (“George Clinton (1941-)”). In the same interview with Devooy, Clinton admitted that while running the barbershop, people who came in would openly share their problems. “It was a real education,” Clinton commented. “People need a place to talk. You get a lot of real shit talked in a barber’s. It was the chatroom of its day.”
While working at the barbershop, Clinton started a doo-wop quintet he called the Parliaments (“George Clinton”). The roots of the Parliaments go back all the way to the doo-wop era in the 1950s. Since then, doo-wop influences have extended into many modern musical genres related to funk, particularly hip-hop (Clay). During this time, Clinton led the Parliaments in recording for several Detroit companies although his efforts were unsuccessful (“George Clinton”).
Fortunately, Clinton landed a record deal with Revilot Records group in 1967 after the release of their first hit called, “I Just Wanna Testify.” When the record company went out of business, the group’s name “remained in litigation” forcing Clinton to rename and rebrand the group as the Funkadelics in 1968. It wasn’t until 1972 that the usage of the name Parliaments could be reclaimed. Clinton kept both names and used them for separate record labels (“George Clinton”).
His declining popularity from the 1978 P-Funk Earth Tour, which involved exotic costume changes and enormous sets with flying saucer landings, was detrimental for his career. Clintons singles were dancefloor successes, but his albums sales weren’t so hot. In 1981, Clinton dissolved his assets and filed for bankruptcy. In doing so, he lost the rights to the group names and Funkadelic was re-formed by some of his ex-associates (“George Clinton”). Due to the legal havoc and branding issues with the label, Clinton went solo in 1982 and called his group P. Funk All Stars. In an effort to gain the rights to his songs from the 1960s and 1970s, Clinton battled the record company for custody after going solo. Unfortunately, he lost because of an agreement he signed in 1983 (“George Clinton (1941-)”).
Moving forward a little more than a decade, Clinton, along with fifteen other group members from Parliament and Funkadelics, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, the NAACP awarded Clinton an Image Award for lifetime achievement (“George Clinton”).
Despite running into a series of issues with record and label companies, George Clinton has made an irreversible dent in music history releasing over forty singles on the R&B charts and three platinum albums in the 1970s. In the 1990s, Clinton re-captivated the public’s interest in his music as rappers such as Tupac, Snoop Dog, and other artists sampled his music. Clinton turned the concept of funk which was created by James Brown into an institution and an art form that has influenced the direction of musical styles such as Missy Elliot, Dr. Dre, and Out-Kast (“George Clinton (1941-)”).
In addition to becoming a music legend, Clinton has also made serious headlines for his style and wardrobe. Lauren Cochrane, a fashion writer, and devout fan, describes her experience, “I remember watching a Funkadelic Live video aged 10 and wondering why the rest of the world didn't dress in glittery hot pants, white big pimpin' floor-length fur coats, sunglasses and fur hats, let alone carry space guns and novelty-shaped guitars. Clinton's Mothership Connection spaceship beamed down to earth to wow us not just with music, but with an out-of-this-world dress sense too.”
Not only did Clinton rock the fashion world with his outlandishly psychedelic style, but he invented a whole new alternate universe. Cochrane went on to say, “[T]hese weren't costumes made just for the hell of it. Clinton invented an alternative universe; he was Uncle Jam, the leader of the army who wants you to funk with him, Starchild is the superhero fighting with that rubber-nosed nemesis Sir Nose D'Voidoffunk. And Bootsy isn't wearing those stars just for fun, he's channelling Bootzilla, his alter ego. It puts your average skinny-jeaned indie band to shame.”
Thanks to the advancement of modern technology, samplings of Clinton’s trademark groovy beats have influenced the works of a whole new generation of rappers. Clinton not only influenced younger funk/rock musicians, like Rick James, Prince, and Afrika Bambaataa, but he built a cosmic mythology which he openly expressed through his music. P-Funk is not only a style; it’s a philosophy.
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