The Start of Funk Music

Funk music started in the late 1960s when African American musicians blended elements of soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz.

Origins of Funk

Funk began to develop in the 1960s when African American musicians blended elements of rhythm and blues with jazz. The result was a new type of music that was both soulful and danceable. Funk soon became a popular style of music, and it continues to be popular today.

James Brown and the Birth of Funk

Much like soul before it, funk was created by African American musicians drawing from a diverse range of influences, including rhythm and blues, jazz, and gospel music. The genre reached its commercial and critical peak in the 1970s with artists such as James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic.

James Brown is often referred to as the “Godfather of Soul,” but he could just as easily be called the godfather of funk. In the early 1960s, Brown began experimenting with his sound, adding more drums and percussion to his band’s already propulsive rhythm section. This new approach can be heard on Brown’s 1966 hit “I Got You (I Feel Good),” which laid the foundation for funk.

While James Brown was perfecting his brand of funk, another group of musicians was taking the genre in a different direction. Led by George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic blended elements of rock, soul, and psychedelia with their own brand of funky rhythms to create a unique sound that was both danceable and mind-expanding. Clinton’s revolutionary vision helped make funk a truly collective experience, one that broke down barriers between performer and audience.

The impact of James Brown and Parliament-Funkadelic can still be felt today in the work of contemporary artists like Bruno Mars, Outkast, & Janelle Monáe.

The Funk Brothers

The Funk Brothers were a group of African-American musicians who played backing instruments for Motown artists in the 1960s and 1970s. The group was originally assembled by Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr., and served as the house band at Hitsville U.S.A., Motown’s studios in Detroit, Michigan.

The group’s most prominent members included bassist James Jamerson, vocalist/guitarist Eddie Kendricks, keyboardist Earl Van Dyke, drummer Richard “Pistol” Allen, and percussionist Jack Ashford. Other notable members include bassists Bob Babbitt and Luis Conte, drummers Uriel Jones and Ollie E. Brown, guitarists Joe Messina and Wah Wah Watson, and keyboardists Johnny Griffith and Ralph Armstrong.

The Funk Brothers were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

Sly and the Family Stone

Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelia. Headed by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band’s output ranged from psychedelic soul and pop to progressive rock.

The band reached their commercial peak with the release of rapper Mark Murphy’s classic party anthem “Dance to the Music” in 1968 and 1969s stand out album Stand!, which included such tracks as “I Want to Take You Higher” and　”Everyday People”. The work of Sly & the Family Stone influenced numerous other artists across a wide spectrum of genres over the next several decades.

The Rise of Funk

Funk is a music genre that began to rise in popularity in the late 1960s. Funk is a mix of soul, R&B, and rock. James Brown is often credited as being the “Godfather of Funk.” George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic also helped to popularize the genre. Funk is known for its funky beats, danceable grooves, and often sexually suggestive lyrics.

Funkadelic

Funkadelic was an American band that was most prominent in the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament-Funkadelic (which recorded under the name Parliament until 1977) developed a complex, intermeshing sonic approach that couples funk’s rhythmic instrumentation with psychedelic embellishments. These two bands combined elements of Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Psychedelic Rock, and Funk to create what is known as P-Funk.

Parliament

Parliament is a funk band that was formed in the early 1970s by George Clinton. The band was originally called The Parliaments, but they changed their name to Parliament after releasing their first album. The band is best known for their hit singles “Flash Light” and “Aqua Boogie (Water Gate Blues),” which both topped the Billboard R&B chart in the late 1970s. Parliament was one of the first funk bands to achieve mainstream success, and they were a major influence on subsequent funk artists like Prince and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

George Clinton

In the early 1970s, while living in Plainfield, New Jersey, bandleader George Clinton began developing what he called “a black psychedelic music.” This new music was a combination of the hard funk sound being developed by James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone, and the free-form improvisation found in jazz. Clinton’s bands Parliament and Funkadelic helped to define funk music with their own distinctive styles.

Parliament’s 1973 hit “Up for the Down Stroke” was one of the first funk songs to cross over into the mainstream. The following year, Funkadelic’s “One Nation Under a Groove” became an anthem for the entire funk movement. Clinton’s efforts to fuse funk with other genres (such as rock, soul, and R&B) resulted in some of the most innovative and influential music of the 1970s.

The Legacy of Funk

Funk music emerged in the mid-1960s as a new style of music. It is a fusion of African-American music genres such as soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. Funk music is characterized by a strong groove, often with a syncopated bass line. The word “funk” originally referred to a strong, pungent smell. In the context of music, it came to mean a style of music that was sexually suggestive or dirty.

Bootsy Collins

While James Brown is often credited as the “godfather of funk,” that title could just as easily go to Bootsy Collins. As a member of Brown’s band in the late 1960s and early ’70s, Collins helped to lay the groundwork for funk with his signature style of bass playing.

Collins’ bass lines were characterized by their syncopated, often percussive sound, which he achieved by using a wah-wah pedal. This effect, combined with his use of different bass techniques like slapping and popping, made his playing stand out. His style would go on to be highly influential, not just in funk but in other genres as well.

In addition to his work with James Brown, Collins is also known for his time in Parliament-Funkadelic, which he joined in 1971. With Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins helped to pioneer the genre of psychedelic funk. He continued to play with the group throughout the 1970s and ’80s, appearing on classic albums like Mothership Connection (1975) and One Nation Under a Groove (1978).

Collins’ influence can still be heard in modern music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 and was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He continues to tour and record today, and his impact on popular music is sure to be felt for generations to come.

Prince

Prince was one of the most influential figures in funk music, and his influence is still felt today. He was a master of showmanship, an incredible guitar player, and a Prince was one of the most prolific recording artists of all time. He also had a profound impact on fashion, dance, and pop culture. His style was unique and often imitated, but never duplicated.

Prince was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1958. He was exposed to music at an early age by his father, who was a jazz pianist. Prince began playing the piano when he was just seven years old. When he was thirteen, he started playing the guitar. It didn’t take long for Prince to develop his own style of playing; he incorporated elements of rock, R&B, soul, and funk into his sound.

In 1977, Prince released his debut album For You. The album was a commercial flop, but it did catch the attention of music critic Robert Christgau, who praised Prince’s “potentialities as a writer and performer.”

Christgau’s positive review led to Prince getting signed to Warner Bros. Records. His next album, Prince (1979), fared better commercially and received positive reviews from critics. The album contained the hit single “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” which helped make Prince a household name.

Prince’s next album, Dirty Mind (1980), cemented his reputation as a scandalous sex symbol. The album contained explicit lyrics and suggestive imagery that shocked many people but also helped make Prince even more popular.

With each successive album—Controversy (1981), 1999 (1982), Purple Rain (1984), Around the World in a Day (1985), Sign o’ the Times (1987), Lovesexy (1988), Batman (1989), Diamonds and Pearls (1991), and Emancipation(1996)—Prince continued to push musical boundaries and explore new sounds and styles. He also continued to court controversy with his sexually explicit lyrics and live performances.

Throughout his career, Prince worked with many different musicians and often showcased their talents on his albums. He collaborated with everyone from Sheila E., The Time, Apollonia 6, Ventures frontman Billy Sheehan ,Sheena Easton ,Chaka Khan Madonna Sinead O’Connor Tori Amos Stevie Nicks Sonic Youth Sheryl Crow Nona Hendryx Garbage Ani DiFranco Kylie Minogue Gwen Stefani Limp Bizkit Lenny Kravitz Alicia Keys Britney Spears 504 Boyz Mary J Blige Mariah Carey Matrix No Doubt Missy Elliott Christina Aguilera

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group’s music incorporates elements of punk rock, funk, and hip-hop. The band has won seven Grammy Awards, and its latest album, “The Getaway,” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. The Red Hot Chili Peppers have sold more than 80 million albums worldwide.