Raymond Davis was born.
George Clinton, the visionary leader of the Parliament-Funkadelic empire, is born in Kannapolis, North Carolina.
Gene Grady Thomas was born.
Clarence “Fuzzy” Haskins was born.
Calvin “Thang” Simon was born.
Bernie Worrel was born.
Tiki Fulwood was born.
Eddie Hazel was born.
Jerome Brailey was born.
William “Billy Bass” Nelson Jr. is born.
Bootsy Collins was born.
Cordell “Boogie” Mosson Jr. is born.
Gary Shider was born.
George Clinton forms the Parliaments with fellow classmates at Clinton Place Junior High School in Plainfield, New Jersey.
“(I Wanna) Testify,” by the Parliaments, enters the R&B singles chart. It is a massive R&B hit (#3) that also rises to #20 on the pop Top Forty. Seven years later it is recut by Parliament (with the s lopped off) as “Testify.”
The untitled first album by Funkadelic, including the defining track “Mommy, What’s a Funkadelic...?,” is released.
‘Osmium’, the first album by Parliament, is released.
‘Maggot Brain’, the third Funkadelic album, is highlighted by the title track, a landmark ten-minute guitar solo from Eddie Hazel.
Funkadelic’s most overtly political album (and only double LP), ‘America Eats Its Young’, is released.
‘Up for the Downstroke’ revives the Parliament name. With overlapping personnel, Parliament and Funkadelic operate on different but parallel tracks through the end of the decade.
Parliament releases the breakthrough album Mothership Connection, whose audacious concept loosely hinges on the notion that Planet Earth was originally settled by a tribe of black outer-space aliens who would one day return to liberate their descendants.
‘Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome’, another concept album building on the story line first articulated on ‘Mothership Connection’, enters the charts. It reaches #13, tying ‘Mothership Connection’ as the highest-charting Parliament album.
Glenn Lamont Goins died.
Parliament’s “Flash Light,” driven by a synthesized bass line, enters the R&B chart, which it will top for three weeks. It is a Top Twenty single on the pop charts as well.
Funkadelic releases ‘One Nation Under a Groove’. Its anthemic title track tops the R&B charts for six weeks and is the only Funkadelic single ever to reach the pop Top Forty.
Parliament’s “Aqua Boogie” enters the R&B charts, which it will top for four weeks.
Funkadelic’s second biggest hit, “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” enters the R&B charts, which it will top for three weeks.
George Clinton’s first solo album, ‘Computer Games’, is released. “Atomic Dog” becomes a huge R&B, club and video hit (though it entirely misses the pop singles chart).
‘Urban Dancefloor Guerrillas’, by the P.Funk All-Stars—an agglomeration that draws from all corners of the Parliament-Funkadelic empire—appears on the CBS Associated label.
George Clinton releases “Do Fries Go With That Shake”.
‘The Cinderella Theory’, George Clinton’s fifth solo album and first for Prince’s Paisley Park label, is released.
Eddie Hazel died.
Sly and the Family Stone are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the eighth annual induction dinner, held in Los Angeles. George Clinton is the presenter.
Parliament-Funkadelic is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the twelfth annual induction dinner. Prince is their presenter.
