Florida’s Funk Legend Fights Back: George Clinton Sues UMG for $1.1 Million in Frozen Royalties
- Aleyah Conway
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
George Clinton, the funk pioneer who has called Tallahassee home for more than three decades, filed a federal lawsuit on May 15, against UMG Recordings, alleging the record company unlawfully froze more than $1.1 million in royalties owed to Clinton.
The 20-page complaint — available at via Music Business Worldwide — accuses UMG of breach of contract and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
Clinton alleges that UMG has withheld his royalties across at least 12 separate accounts for more than three years, using a third-party copyright dispute as a pretext.
The underlying dispute involves the estate of the late Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell, which claimed co-ownership of certain recordings. In September 2025, a federal judge ruled in Clinton’s favor on summary judgment.
Yet, UMG has continued its freeze on payments to the 84-year old artist, which Clinton’s complaint notes has caused him “severe financial harm.”
As of December 2025, the frozen funds include more than $996,000 in a Parliament royalty account alone, $99,000 in a separate Clinton production account, and $29,500 from Clinton’s production work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The latter have no connection whatsoever to the original Worrell dispute.
Since 1994, Clinton has made Tallahassee, Florida, his permanent home. His property, set on a dirt road a few miles north of the city, features live oaks, a carp pond, a pool house he uses as a painting studio, and a full recording studio.
In February 2024, Mayor John Dailey presented Clinton with a key to the city, recognizing his three decades of contributions to the community. In 2025, he was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame by the Florida Department of State.
Clinton is also an honorary member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. FAMU and FSU chapters of the fraternity shared the stage with him at his inaugural P-Funk Fest in Tallahassee in 2026.
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