(NEWARK, NJ) -- Newark Get Ready!!! The funkmaster himself, George Clinton returns home to New Jersey to celebrate his 80th birthday on Friday, March 18, 2022 at 8:00pm. See George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic perform their timeless classics often sampled in countless hip hop songs. George Clinton will be joined with special guests Vernon Reid and Nona Hendryx.
Join the celebration with George Clinton, the “Godfather of Funk” behind Parliament and Funkadelic. One of the foremost innovators of ‘70s funk, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (by Prince himself!) in 1997, and received a much-deserved GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. Join us at NJPAC as we hail the living legend who gave the world P-Funk, “Atomic Dog,” One Nation Under a Groove and Mothership Connection. With a career spanning five decades, three dozen albums and sweeping musical influence, George Clinton is a fearless creative mastermind who keeps on rocking.
Tickets range from $39-$89 and are available for purchase online, by calling 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722) or by visiting the NJPAC Box Office at 1 Center Street, Newark, New Jersey.
Recording both as Parliament and Funkadelic, George Clinton 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. Clinton became interested in Doo-wop while living in New Jersey during the early ’50s. Basing his group on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Clinton formed The Parliaments in 1955, rehearsing in the back room of a Plainfield barbershop where he straightened hair. The Parliaments released only two singles during the next ten years, but frequent trips to Detroit during the mid-’60s – where Clinton began working as a songwriter and producer – eventually paid off their investment.
Vernon Reid is the founder and primary songwriter of the rock band Living Colour. Reid was named No. 66 on Rolling Stone’s magazine's 2003 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In addition to his work with Living Colour, Reid has a number of solo projects. He released Mistaken Identity, his first solo album, in 1996, and has collaborated with the choreographers Bill T. Jones on Still/Here and Donald Byrd on Jazztrain. He performed "Party 'Til The End of Time" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) with The Roots, an end of the 2000 millennium tribute featuring the music of Prince's album 1999. He also composed and performed "Bring Your Beats" a children's program for BAM.
Nona Hendryx is a vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician and author with a career that spans over six decades. She was one of the founding members of Patti Labelle & the Bluebelles, a group that would eventually become Labelle. In addition to being an Ambassador of Artistry in Music for Berklee College of Music, Hendryx is currently the recipient of the Vanguard Residency from Joe’s Pub at the Pubic in NYC. The residency is an award and yearlong residency that celebrates the career of a singular artist who has contributed significantly to American life and pop culture. As part of her residency, Hendryx will curate and perform in a monthly series of shows over the course of the next year.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located at One Center Street in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, which have reached almost 2 million children, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 10 million visitors since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.
