There is so much about The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that we absolutely love. The host, for one. And then there is tne show’s house band Stay Human, led by the incredible Jon Batiste, who often have notable musicians and performers sit in with them. Monday’s show was a cut above, however; the legendary George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell dropped in to funk each and every person in The Ed Sullivan Theater.
Colbert’s YouTube channel gave the world an amazing treat by sharing the performance of the classic 1978 Parliament-Funkadelic song “Flash Light.” We suppose, if we’re being technical, “Flash Light” is actually credited as a Parliament tune but the band’s line-up and nomenclature has been so varied over the years we’re going to count it as a P-Funk tune.
It’s incredible to see these legends of funk in action after such a long career. Bootsy Collins is 64; Clinton and Worrell are both in their 70s and they are still cooler than we could ever hope to be. We are beyond jealous of each and every audience member who got to experience this incredible performance by such legendary performers up close and personal.
At the end of the video, Colbert mentions SweetRelief.org which “provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.” Something that’s certainly near and dear to the P-Funk members as Bernie Worrell has a fund to help him during his fight with stage-four lung cancer.
