Funk music legend George Clinton, the mastermind behind Parliament-Funkadelic, is taking legal action to regain control of his iconic catalog. Clinton has filed a $100 million lawsuit against music executive Armen Boladian and Bridgeport Music, accusing them of fraudulently obtaining ownership of 90% of his music catalog and profiting from it for decades.
According to Variety, Clinton filed the lawsuit in a Florida District Court on Tuesday (March 11), targeting Boladian, Bridgeport Music, Westbound Records, Nine Records, Southfield Music, and Eastbound Records. The suit alleges that these entities have “unlawfully continued to profit off of his music.”
Fighting for His Legacy
Standing on the steps of the Apollo Theater, Clinton, joined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, publicly announced the lawsuit, stating his determination to reclaim his music for his family’s future.
“These songs we’re talking about are my history,” Clinton declared. “I have to fight for them, I have to make sure that I did not do all of this my whole life and have my family here, not get what’s due to them, what they inherit.”
He continued:
“We don’t have a chance to pass down 40 acres and mules to our families. We do not have the copyrights for the songs. So I’m here along with Ben and partners to make sure that Armen does not get what we worked so hard for.”
Fraud Allegations and Years of Legal Battles
The lawsuit accuses Boladian, Clinton’s former business partner, of withholding millions in royalties and engaging in fraudulent practices between 1982 and 1985. Boladian allegedly:
- Fabricated multiple versions of agreements to gain control over Clinton’s music.
- Created fake names and pseudonyms in copyright registrations to reduce Clinton’s share of royalties.
- Filed lawsuits against artists who sampled Clinton’s catalog but never included Clinton in those legal actions or compensated him for settlements.
Boladian has been involved in numerous lawsuits regarding Parliament-Funkadelic’s catalog. In 2001, Clinton lost a copyright case against Boladian after a Florida judge ruled that music from 1976 to 1983 belonged to Bridgeport Music.
Boladian’s Attorney Calls It “The Same Lawsuit Again”
Boladian’s attorney, Richard Busch, dismissed Clinton’s claims, calling the lawsuit another failed attempt to win a long-standing dispute.
“This is just the latest in a series of lawsuits that Mr. Clinton has filed against Bridgeport and Armen Boladian over the last 30 years raising the same exact issues,” Busch stated.
“He has lost each and every time, including in the very courthouse in which he has filed this latest lawsuit. We will obviously therefore be moving to dismiss this lawsuit and will be seeking sanctions.”
A New Legal Battle for the Godfather of Funk
Despite past losses, Clinton remains determined to reclaim control over his music and secure generational wealth for his family. With Ben Crump now representing him, this legal fight could become one of the most high-profile music industry lawsuits in recent history.
Will Clinton finally regain his catalog, or will history repeat itself?
