Connecting with Black businesses and sharing his creative side, George Clinton, often called the “King of Funk,” talked about his life and career at the opening of a new branch of Harbor Bank of Maryland (HBM) in Silver Spring, Maryland.
The event, themed “On the Move: An Evening with George Clinton and HBM, provided the Baltimore-based business with an opportunity to discuss its commitment to the local community, and featured a special exhibition of the “Thangularity Mothership,” an original art piece by the multihyphenate artist and his longtime collaborator Overton Loyd.
In front of an intimate crowd, Clinton, in conversation with HBM president and CEO John Lewis, explained the importance of collaboration with the Black-owned bank.
“We’re working together from all aspects of Blackness,” said the 84-year-old singer, songwriter, producer, bandleader, artist, and costume designer. “It helps us a lot to come together, to do it with each other and to patronize. It can be as simple as discussing what we don’t do or what we could do.”
The “Mothership” concept has been associated with Parliament-Funkadelic for decades.
In bringing the “Mothership” to Silver Spring, Lewis emphasized why working with Clinton was a perfect fit.
“It’s only fitting,” Lewis said, “that we celebrate with a visionary like George Clinton, whose work has always pushed boundaries, uplifted voices, and looked forward to a brighter future.”