Bootsy Collins Recalls Crack Pipe Moment That Changed His Relationship with P-Funk Bandmate George Clinton [Video]

Bootsy Collins is opening up about a moment that forever changed his relationship with George Clinton.

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In a recent interview with the “Zach Sang Show,” the 73-year-old funk icon recalled a trip to Florida where the P-Funk bandmates had planned to relax, fish, and work on music.

Collins explained that during the trip, Clinton gave him a warning he never expected. While at the hotel, Clinton told him, “I don’t ever want to see you doing this,” before lighting a crack pipe. “He fired it up in front of me, and he was telling me, ‘Don’t you ever, don’t even think about it,’” Collins said. “I always looked up to George as a bigger brother, a mentor.”

Not long after, Clinton returned with the pipe and told him to try it. Collins reminded him of the warning, but Clinton dismissed it.

“Oh, I was just joking. This is like sex, man. It’s like sex. You take it, just take it. Just hit it one time,” Clinton said.

That exchange marked a shift for Collins.

“I thought he was trying to trick me, but he was serious,” he recalled.

From that moment, Collins said the dynamic between them changed. He began distancing himself from Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic circle, starting his own path toward sobriety.

“By being out of that, gave me an opportunity to get straight. And I must say that I think I’m more straight now than ever, and I feel pretty good about it,” Collins said.

When asked if he wished he had helped Clinton at the time, Collins said it was something Clinton had to go through on his own.

“No, he had to go through that. He’s a lot better for it now. He’s still out there, you know? He changed some of his ways, but it’s only because of health reasons,” he explained.

Earlier in the interview, Collins shared that he had struggled with drugs himself. He spoke about using LSD and how it caused breakdowns that left him unfocused on music. His dependency deepened when cocaine became his priority.

“That’s what alerted me that something was wrong, was when this drug took over,” he said. “I wanted that first before I even even gave a thought about the music.”

Collins said stepping away from the environment around him was what allowed him to straighten out. That decision not only improved his health but also gave him the clarity to focus on music again.