George Clinton returned to a familiar place — the streets of Hollywood.
The legendary musician and founder of music collective Parliament/Funkadelic, was honored Friday with the 2,769th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to funk music.
“This is an honor to receive this star alongside the many names and notables from the world of entertainment,” Clinton said at the ceremony.
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Clinton, 82, was born in North Carolina and grew up in New Jersey. He moved to Hollywood early in his career.
On Friday, he recalled living with his former manager just blocks away from his newly-installed star.
“I know this ‘hood right here. I know these streets,” he said. “I know what it means to look and see these stars. I often looked at them and was dreaming that I would one day be down here myself.”
Clinton said he’s also familiar with the seedy side of Hollywood.
“I lived here in the ’70s, so I know what happened in these streets with hookers, hippies and druggies, of which I was one. But I’m cool now,” he said to applause.
He then thanked the people who helped him along the way.
“One thing I realized is that there is not a single name on this street that did it by themselves. There are so many that I stand on, that I can’t name them all. But for each and every one of you, I give thanks,” he said.
He was joined by Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump and longtime Motown songwriter Janie Bradford.
Kiedis called Clinton a “national treasure” and thanked him for producing some of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ music in the 1980s.
Crump presented Clinton with a proclamation from Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
Bradford said before Clinton adopted his wild stage persona, he was a “three-piece suit wearing dude… with a briefcase full of dreams.”
Clinton told the audience he adopted his eccentric style after being “rejected” by Motown.
Parliament/Funkadelic combined acid-rock guitar with sound effects, dance beats, and bass lines. They climbed the charts with hits including “P-Funk (Wants to get Funked Up),” “Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker),” “Flash Light,” “One Nation Under a Groove,” “Aqua Boogie.”
Clinton released his 1982 solo single “Atomic Dog,” which has been featured in the films 102 Dalmatians, Trolls World Tour, and Menace II Society. Snoop Dogg also sampled the track on the single “Snoop Dogg (What’s My Name Pt. 2).”
He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
His star is located at 6752 Hollywood Blvd.
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