On Thursday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m., the 2012 Essence of Entertainment concert series at the Dell Music Center, 33rd Street and Ridge Avenue, concludes with "A Night of Funk," featuring WAR, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, the Dazz Band, the Ohio Players and the Bar-Kays.
At age 71, George Clinton is still the undisputed Godfather of Funk, and said that he has no intention of slowing down. "Funk got Viagra in it!" he proclaimed in a recent interview. "That keeps you goin'!"
With a catalog of hits that includes "One Nation Under a Groove," "Flashlight," "P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)" and "(Not Just) Knee Deep," as well as a cast of characters that features "Sir Nose D'Void of Funk" and "Starchild," Clinton and his animated aggregation put the "fun" in funk. While their once-spectacular stage show has scaled down considerably over the years, the music stands on its own.
"We don't have the Mothership, but the show is still high-powered, Clinton said. "We won't be able to play as long as we would like to play because they have all those other acts on there."
The hip-hop generation has been profoundly influenced by Clinton's music, with his clever and complex compositions making him second only to James Brown as the most heavily sampled artist, and in 1997, Parliament Funkadelic was inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "Prince inducted us in there. We went in with the Jacksons, Mavis [Staples], The (Young) Rascals — all these people that I'd known over the years," Clinton said proudly.
As always, the inimitable George Clinton has found a way to keep his funkateers off balance, and fans at the Dell should expect the unexpected. "I cut my hair off and I'm wearing suits," he said. "It's been long enough to recreate myself again."
For tickets and information, call the Dell box office at (215) 685-9560 or visit www.mydelleast.com.
Contact Entertainment Reporter Kimberly C. Roberts at (215) 893-5753 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
