On May 6, 1997 Parliament Funkadelic was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Prince, accompanied by his wife Mayte Garcia, paid tribute to George Clinton and all of Parliament Funkadelic with the following speech.

I'm here to testify about Parliament Funkadelic tonight. Funk is the force that tore the roof off the sucker that is modern music. The great George Clinton is the father of this funk mothership, the soulful supergroup that included legends like Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Eddie Hazel, and all the other brilliant musicians and singers that have signed on for duty. They built Parliament Funkadelic and changed the world. There was something futuristic about Parliament Funkadelic and that was only fitting since they played a huge role in creating the future of music. Yet for all the outer space and alien imagery, Parliament Funkadelic was an earthy and funky and timely and ... I don't know about that [laughs]. Let me just say something about George, since he's a good friend of mine. One time he sent me a tape and says, um "you pee on it, then send it back to me. [Laughs] And I'll pee on it, and then we'll see what we've got." So. [Laughs] This is what George is all about to me and mine. I went to see him at the Beverly Theater and it was frightening. 14 people singing "(Not Just) Knee Deep" in unison. That night, I went to the studio and recorded "Erotic City." [Applause] Needless to say, he's been an influence on me and everyone I know. That's all we talk about. That's all we groove on. Sitting down with him, he said to me "Everybody's got a little light under the sun." And that's really where his music is. You gotta really get into it and dig it. So, with great pleasure, I wanna say, George I love you and I need you, and I'm happy to be here to induct you into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Resources

George Clinton biography and booking information