The Story of Funk - Let's Take It to the Stage

From the 1960s through to the present day, funk music reverberates all through popular culture. Whether it's in fashion, street language, TV, the movies or pop music, the far-reaching influence of funk is everywhere. In this three-part series, American actress Pam Grier ensures Radio 2 is one station under a groove, taking listeners on an historic funk odyssey. She's been a fan of the music since she starred in the so-called Blaxploitation movies of the 1970s. Back then, funk was not only the soundtrack to her films but also to a vital time in American history for black people. It was a time of self discovery, struggle and social change. Funk music reflected all of that. In part two, Pam examines the funkiest decade of all time: the 1970s. Back when bell bottoms, afros and hoop earrings were the thing, an explosion of bands took funk to the world stage. We're talking acts like George Clinton's P-Funk, Kool & the Gang, Stevie Wonder, Average White Band, The Bar-Kays, the Ohio Players and The Meters. Plus there was the emergence of new genres like Jazz, African and Latin Funk. The series features contributions from Earth Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang, Sly and the Family Stone, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, P-Funk musicians, Average White Band, Cameo, Clyde 'Funky Drummer' Stubblefield, Charles Wright, The Last Poets, Beverley Knight, Matt Fink, Acid Jazz's Eddie Piller and rapper Shock G.