Simplify the following text for a Grade 6 native English-speaking person.
Original: He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s , and began his work as a solo artist in 1981 .
Simplified: He was also part of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s . From 1981 , he performed by himself as a solo artist .