“‘What are you still doing at home? You’re supposed to be on a flight going to Detroit to audition.’ That was my introduction to P-Funk”: DeWayne Blackbyrd McKnight on how he came to join George Clinton's legendary music collective

George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic's Blackbyrd McKnight perform on stage at Wilderness Festival on August 8, 2015 in Oxford, United Kingdom.

DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight has played with a who's who of the jazz, funk, and fusion scenes. From being a member of The Headhunters to serving as Herbie Hancock's sideman, and yes, even having a brief tenure as the Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist, McKnight has cemented his position as a true guitar veteran.

It’s his role in George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic, however, that truly shaped the trajectory of his career and transformed him into a funk all-star.