Mothership Connections

Explore the cultural and musical legacy of the groundbreaking funk band Parliament-Funkadelic, documented in two new books with untold histories and critical examination: Make My Funk the P-Funk: Parliament-Funkadelic's Meteoric Rise in 1975 from 'Chocolate City' to 'Mothership Connection,' written by Daniel Bedrosian; and Mothership Connected: The Women of Parliament-Funkadelic, written by Seth Neblett. Conversation moderated by Melissa A. Weber.

Free and open to the public; donations gratefully accepted. Donations support One Book One New Orleans' year-round work.

The Andre Cailloux Center for Performing Arts and Cultural Justice is accessible to community members who require mobility-related ADA accommodations. Parking near the venue is free, though somewhat limited. The nearest RTA stop is at N. Broad and Columbus.

MEET THE PANELISTS

Daniel Bedrosian has been the keyboardist for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic for the past twenty-three years, making him the longest tenured keyboard player in the band’s history. In addition to performing with Clinton and company, he has worked, recorded or performed with many musical icons such as Snoop Dogg, Chuck D and Flavor Flav, Ice Cube, Shavo Odadjian from System of a Down, Kendrick Lamar, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, Mumford & Sons, RZA, Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Sheila E, Wu-Tang Clan, The Roots, MonoNeon, Cory Henry, Robert Glasper, Drake, and many more. He has appeared on 25 Strong: The BET Silver Anniversary Special, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Carson Daly Show, I’m from Rolling Stone, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Mike Judge's Tales from the Tour Bus, The Monique Show, MTV in several nations, and many more. Danny's keyboard and Synthesizer work has been featured in the major animated motion picture "Trolls World Tour". Danny wrote "The Authorized P-Funk Song Reference: Official Canon of Parliament Funkadelic 1956-2023" published by Rowman and Littlefield, and the book became a bestseller for the publisher.

Seth Neblett is a multi-talented photographer, director, writer, and creative visionary whose work spans music, film, and literature. Born in Highland Park, Michigan, he is the son of funk pioneers—Mallia “Queen of Funk” Franklin of Parliament-Funkadelic and Nathaniel Neblett of New Birth—giving him a unique perspective on artistry and legacy. In 2010, Seth founded ImageWorx Media & Management, where he has directed music videos for legends like Chaka Khan, Miki Howard, and Vesta, and photographed iconic moments featured in Billboard, JET!, TV One’s Unsung, and The Jennifer Hudson Show. His cover photography has graced albums by celebrated artists across soul, R&B, and funk. In 2025, he authored Mothership Connected: The Women of Parliament-Funkadelic, the first book to chronicle the groundbreaking but often overlooked contributions of P-Funk’s women. Through every project, Seth Neblett continues to merge heritage with innovation, preserving musical history while creating new cultural narratives.

Melissa A. Weber is an artist-scholar and music historian whose areas of expertise include 20th century popular music, the music and culture of her native New Orleans, and archives.
She has shared her research in presentations for the American Musicological Society, International Association for the Study of Popular Music, National Council for Black Studies, and Society of American Archivists among others; and in publications for NPR Music and Wax Poetics.
When not serving in professional capacities as an archives curator with Tulane University Special Collections and adjunct faculty at Loyola University, she collects vinyl records of the music she loves. In her spare time and under the moniker of DJ Soul Sister, she has hosted her Soul Power show on WWOZ FM New Orleans community radio station for 30 years. As a DJ artist, she has performed on stage with artists ranging from Questlove to George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic.

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