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William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading names and innovators in funk with his driving basslines and humorous vocals. He later formed his own P-Funk side project known as Bootsy's Rubber Band. He was a frequent collaborator with other musicians from a variety of genres, including dance music ( Deee-Lite's " Groove Is in the Heart"), electronic big beat (
Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist ...
's " Weapon of Choice"), and
alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal) is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by ...
(
Praxis Praxis may refer to: Philosophy and religion * Praxis (process), the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practised, embodied, or realised * Praxis model, a way of doing theology * Praxis (Byzantine Rite), the practice of fai ...
), among others. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. In 2020, ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' magazine ranked Collins number 4 in its list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time.


Early life

Collins was born in
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...
,
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
, on October 26, 1951. He said that his mother nicknamed him "Bootsy". "I asked her why," he explained to a journalist, "and she just said, 'Because you looked like a Bootsy.' I left it at that." His brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins (1943–2010) was also a musician. He and Bootsy were once part of James Brown's backing band, The Pacemakers. Collins has maintained a strong connection with Cincinnati.


Career


1960s–1970s

With his elder brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins, Frankie "Kash" Waddy, and Philippé Wynne, Collins formed a funk band, The Pacemakers, in 1968. In March 1970, after most of the members of James Brown's band quit over a pay dispute, The Pacemakers were hired as Brown's backing band and they became known as The J.B.'s. (They are often referred to as the "original" J.B.'s to distinguish them from later line-ups that went by the same name.) Although they worked for Brown for only 11 months, the original J.B.'s played on some of Brown's most intense funk recordings, including " Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine", " Bewildered (1970)", " Super Bad", " Soul Power", " Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing", and two instrumental singles, the much-sampled "
The Grunt "The Grunt" is a funk instrumental recorded in 1970 by James Brown's band The J.B.'s. It was released as a two-part single on King. It was one of only two instrumental singles recorded by the original J.B.'s lineup with Bootsy and Catfish Collin ...
" and "These Are the J.B.'s". In regards to his tenure working for James Brown, Collins stated: After parting ways with James Brown, Collins returned to Cincinnati and formed
House Guests House Guests was an early-1970s American funk group that consisted of bassist William "Bootsy" Collins, his older brother Phelps "Catfish" Collins on guitar, Frank "Kash" Waddy on drums, Clayton "Chicken" Gunnells on trumpet, and Robert McCulloug ...
with his brother Phelps Collins, Rufus Allen, Clayton "Chicken" Gunnels, Frankie Waddy, Ronnie Greenaway and Robert McCullough. The House Guests released "What So Never the Dance" and another single on the House Guests label, as well as a third as The Sound of Vision on the House Guests label. Next Collins moved to
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
, after Philippé Wynne suggested joining The Spinners, for whom Wynne had been singing. However, following the advice of singer and future
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...
member Mallia Franklin, Collins made another choice. Franklin introduced both Collins brothers to George Clinton, and in 1972, both of the Collins brothers, along with Waddy, joined Funkadelic. Collins played bass on most of Funkadelic and Parliament albums through the early 1980s, garnering several songwriting credits as well. In 1976 Collins, Catfish, Waddy, Joel Johnson (1953–2018), Gary "Mudbone" Cooper, Robert Johnson and
The Horny Horns The Horny Horns were a horn section associated with Parliament-Funkadelic and Bootsy's Rubber Band led by trombonist Fred Wesley. The group also featured saxophonist Maceo Parker and Rick Gardner and Richard "Kush" Griffith on trumpets. While ...
formed
Bootsy's Rubber Band A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
, a separate touring unit of Clinton's P-Funk collective. The group recorded five albums together, the first three of which are often considered to be among the quintessential P-Funk recordings. The group's 1978 album ''
Bootsy? Player of the Year ''Bootsy? Player of the Year'' is the third album by the American funk band Bootsy's Rubber Band. Reception The album was released on Warner Bros. Records on January 20, 1978. At the height of the album's popularity, it competed head to head wit ...
'' reached the top of the R&B album chart and spawned the #1 R&B single "
Bootzilla "Bootzilla" is a song recorded by Bootsy's Rubber Band, released on January 13, 1978. As the lead single from the album '' Bootsy? Player of the Year'', it held the #1 spot on the R&B chart for one week in 1978 (directly following fellow P-Funk ou ...
". Like Clinton, Collins took on several alter egos, from Casper the Funky Ghost to Bootzilla, "the world's only rhinestone rockstar monster of a doll", all as parts of the evolving character of an alien rock star who grew gradually more bizarre as time went on (see
P-Funk mythology The P-Funk mythology is a group of recurring characters, themes, and ideas primarily contained in the output of George Clinton's bands Parliament and Funkadelic. This "funkology" was outlined in album liner notes and song lyrics, in addition to a ...
). He also adopted his trademark "space bass" around this time.


1980s–1990s

Collins released two 1980 albums, his first "solo" album ''
Ultra Wave ''Ultra Wave'' is the fifth album released by funk musician Bootsy Collins. It was released on November 12, 1980 by Warner Bros. Records. It is the first album credited solely to Bootsy Collins, as opposed to his previous releases, which were cre ...
'', and ''
Sweat Band ''Sweat Band'' is the 1980 debut album by the P-Funk spin off act the Sweat Band. The album was the first official release on the Uncle Jam Records label, formed by George Clinton and his business manager Archie Ivy, and distributed by CBS Rec ...
'', on George Clinton's Uncle Jam label with a group billed as Bootsy's Sweat Band. He also was credited for co-producing the debut of P-Funk spinoff
Zapp Zapp may refer to: People *Jim Zapp (1924-2016), baseball player *Robert-Richard Zapp, a German U-boat commander during World War II *Walter Zapp, a Baltic German inventor, designer of miniature cameras *Zapp Brannigan, a fictional character from t ...
. In 1984, he collaborated with Jerry Harrison of
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talki ...
to produce " Five Minutes", a dance record sampled and edited from Ronald Reagan's infamous " We begin bombing in five minutes" speech. The record was credited to "Bonzo goes to Washington" (also referenced in the 1985 Ramones song "
Bonzo Goes to Bitburg "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" is a song by American punk rock band the Ramones. It was issued as a single in the UK by Beggars Banquet Records in mid-1985. The song is an emotionally charged commentary on the Bitburg controversy from earlier that year, ...
", derived from Reagan's starring role as Professor Peter Boyd in the 1951 comedy film ''
Bedtime for Bonzo ''Bedtime for Bonzo'' is a 1951 American comedy film directed by Fred de Cordova and starring Ronald Reagan, Diana Lynn, and a chimpanzee named Tamba as Bonzo. Its central character, psychology professor Peter Boyd (Reagan), tries to teach human ...
''). After a nearly five-year hiatus, he had a comeback in 1988 (with some help from producer Bill Laswell). '' What's Bootsy Doin'?'' flaunted a new sound that foreshadowed the 1990s, such as the dance floor smash "Party on Plastic". Laswell introduced Collins to Herbie Hancock, resulting in '' Perfect Machine'' (1988). The techno-funk they recorded featured turntables for scratch appeal, and the smoothly-stylized vocals of Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner of chart-topping
Ohio Players Ohio Players is an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and " Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models feat ...
. These were the first of many collaborations between Laswell and Collins on many albums and projects, with the prolific producer using Bootsy mainly as a bassist but sometimes as a rhythm guitarist. In 1988, Collins appeared as a guest artist to play bass on Keith Richards and The X-Pensive Winos album ''Talk is Cheap''. In 1989, Collins played bass on and produced several tracks of Malcolm McLaren's album ''
Waltz Darling ''Waltz Darling'' is the fourth studio album by Malcolm McLaren (his only with The Bootzilla Orchestra), released in 1989. The album spawned several popular singles, including " Deep in Vogue" a collaboration with Willi Ninja, best known for his ...
'', credited to Malcolm McLaren and the Bootzilla Orchestra. In 1990, Collins collaborated with Deee-Lite on their biggest hit " Groove Is in the Heart", and he contributed additional vocals. Although he also appeared in the music video playing the bass, the bassline in the song is actually a sample of a
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...
song called "Bring Down the Birds". Bootsy's Rubber Band became the de facto backing musicians for Deee-Lite during a world tour. The Rubber Band also recorded the EP '' Jungle Bass'', their first recording in 11 years. In 1992, he joined with guitarist Stevie Salas and drummer Buddy Miles to form the funk-metal fusion group Hardware. The trio released one album, '' Third Eye Open'', before disbanding. In the same year, Collins played bass guitar on the first
Praxis Praxis may refer to: Philosophy and religion * Praxis (process), the process by which a theory, lesson, or skill is enacted, practised, embodied, or realised * Praxis model, a way of doing theology * Praxis (Byzantine Rite), the practice of fai ...
album (produced by Laswell): '' Transmutation'', alongside fellow Parliament-Funkadelic member Bernie Worrell, Bryan Mantia and Buckethead. Bootsy's New Rubber Band formed in 1994, releasing ''
Blasters of the Universe ''Blasters of the Universe'' is a 1993 2-CD set by Bootsy's New Rubber Band. The album was first released on the P-Vine record label and then by Rykodisc in the US and the UK. In terms of musical personnel, the album features more P-Funk and Fun ...
'' and also put forth the following live release "
Keepin' dah Funk Alive 4-1995 ''Keepin' Dah Funk Alive 4-1995'' is a live double CD set by Bootsy's New Rubber Band. The album was first released by P-Vine Records on January 25 1995, and by Rykodisc in the U.S. and the UK later that same year. The album was recorded at Clu ...
", recorded over two nights in Tokyo. In 1995, Collins played in the remake of Jimi Hendrix's "
If 6 Was 9 "If 6 Was 9" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix and recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. It was released on their second album '' Axis: Bold as Love'' (1967). It appeared on the soundtrack for the 1969 film ''Easy Rider'' and the soundtrack for ...
," for Axiom Funk, a Funkadelic-like one-off supergroup produced by Bill Laswell and featuring (Funkadelic members) George Clinton, Bernie Worrell, Collins, (the guitar of the late) Eddie Hazel, Gary Shider and Laswell. The group released only one album (''
Funkcronomicon ''Funkcronomicon'' is a 1995 various artists collection of tracks produced by Bill Laswell under the name Axiom Funk, after Laswell's associated record label. It is a 2-CD set that was released by Island Records. ''Funkcronomicon'' features heavy ...
''), and the song also appeared in the soundtrack of the movie '' Stealing Beauty''. Collins collaborated with Del McCoury, Doc Watson and Mac Wiseman to form the
GrooveGrass Boyz The GrooveGrass Boyz were an American musical group that played a mix of bluegrass, funk, and freestyle music. The group was founded as a side project by record producer and session musician Scott Rouse in 1987, after he began experimenting with ...
. They produced a fusion of bluegrass and funk.


2000s–present

Collins provided lead vocals for the
Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who helped to popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. In the 1980s, Cook was the bassist ...
song " Weapon of Choice" from his 2000 album ''
Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars ''Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars'' is the third studio album by English electronic music producer Fatboy Slim. It was first released on 6 November 2000 in the United Kingdom by Skint Records and a day later in the United States by Ast ...
''. Collins vocals quote the book ''
Dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' ("Walk without rhythm and you won't attract the worm"). The song won multiple MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Music Video. In October 2005, Collins co-wrote a song celebrating the resurgence of his hometown team, the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The club's home ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...
called "Fear Da Tiger" which features "raps" written and performed by several Bengals players, including
defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is p ...
Duane Clemons, offensive tackle Stacy Andrews, and center Ben Wilkerson. An edited version of the song was made into a music video which features cameos by many other Bengals players. Collins appeared with Little Richard, Bernie Worrell, and other notable musicians as the band playing with
Hank Williams, Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son o ...
for the ''
Monday Night Football ''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, ...
'' opening during for the 2006 season. Collins was the only all star to return with Williams for the 2007 season. He also sings "Marshal Law", the theme song of the
Cincinnati Marshals The Marshals were a professional indoor football team based out of Dayton, Ohio. They played their 2007 home games out of Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio, but are more famous for playing as the Cincinnati Marshals at U.S. Bank Arena for two seaso ...
indoor football team and debuted the song in 2006 at half time of the April 29 Marshals home game against the West Palm Beach Phantoms. In 2006,
ABC Entertainment The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network. It is the flagship property of the ABC Entertainment Group division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, Calif ...
/A Charly Films Release released a DVD and CD from Collins and the New Rubber Band's concert at the 1998 North Sea Jazz Festival. Soon after the release, Collins split from long-time friend and guitarist Odhran "The Bodhran" Rameriz, citing creative differences as the reason. Later that same year, Collins released the holiday album ''
Christmas Is 4 Ever ''Christmas Is 4 Ever'' is a 2006 Christmas-themed album by Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was released in the United States by the Shout Factory label and by P-Vine Records in Japan. The album represents the first Christ ...
''. This represents the first Christmas-themed album made by a member of the P-Funk musical collective. The album features re-workings of Christmas standards as well as original compositions. In April 2007, Collins announced plans to open Bootsy's, a restaurant/club with Cincinnati area restaurateur Jeff Ruby. The venue operated from 2008 to 2010. It featured live musical acts, a museum dedicated to Collins's musical career and Spanish, Central and South American cuisine. In June 2007, Collins, along with Catfish Collins, Clyde Stubblefield, John "Jabo" Starks, and Bernie Worrell, participated in the recording of the soundtrack for the movie ''
Superbad ''Superbad'' is a 2007 American coming-of-age teen buddy comedy film directed by Greg Mottola and produced by Judd Apatow. The film stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as Seth and Evan, two teenagers about to graduate from high school. Before grad ...
''. In December of that year they (without Worrell) went on to perform the first tribute concert remembering James Brown. In July 2007, Collins also told ''Billboard'' magazine that he was working on a project named Science Faxtion and an album called ''
Living on Another Frequency ''Living on Another Frequency'' is the debut album by American experimental metal band Science Faxtion, released on November 11, 2008 in the United States and January 26, 2009 in Europe. Background The news on the album was given by bassist an ...
'' in which he serves as bassist and co-producer along with his lead vocalist Greg Hampton. The band also features guitarist Buckethead and drummer
Brain A brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as Visual perception, vision. I ...
. The album was released in November 2008. Collins promoted Rock the Vote for its 2008 campaign together with Buckethead. Collins portrayed a radio DJ in the 2013 video game, ''
Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and the fifteenth in ...
'', in which several of his own songs were featured. Collins has also collaborated extensively with Bill Laswell, Buckethead, and also frequently collaborated with fellow bassist Victor Wooten. On December 14, 2018, Collins played a show with Detroit-based funk artist GRiZ, and also collaborated on a new song with GRiZ. In January 2019, Collins announced on Facebook that he would be retiring from live performances for health reasons: He wrote that he would be releasing a new album this year, and that he would continue to work in the studio and mentor young musicians. On February 25, 2021, it was announced that Collins would be making an appearance as the "special guest host" of '' An Evening With Silk Sonic'', the first studio album from Silk Sonic, a collaboration between Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. He was the one who came up with the band's name (much like he did with Babyface), and acts as the album's narrator, "threading" the songs together. On July 7, 2022, Collins served as emcee for the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Games in
Birmingham, Alabama Birmingham ( ) is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous county. As of the 2021 census estimates, Birmingham had a population of 197,575, down 1% f ...
.


Basses

Collins has owned many basses, several of which are custom made. His original Space Bass and its first replacement were made in
Warren, Michigan Warren is a city in Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2020 Census places the city's population at 139,387, making Warren the largest city in Macomb County, the third largest city in Michigan, and Metro Detroit's largest suburb. ...
by Larry Pless of Gus Zoppi's music store. The first Space Bass had a
mahogany Mahogany is a straight- grained, reddish-brown timber of three tropical hardwood species of the genus '' Swietenia'', indigenous to the AmericasBridgewater, Samuel (2012). ''A Natural History of Belize: Inside the Maya Forest''. Austin: U ...
body and maple neck, white finish, and mirror pick guard. This is the Space Bass on the cover of 1976 album ''
Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band ''Stretchin' Out in Bootsy's Rubber Band'' is the first album by American funk and soul band Bootsy's Rubber Band, an offshoot act of Parliament-Funkadelic led by bassist and vocalist William "Bootsy" Collins. It was released on January 30, 1976, o ...
''. Collins's original Space Bass guitar was stolen, but it was later recovered at a Cincinnati
pawn shop A pawnbroker is an individual or business (pawnshop or pawn shop) that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral. The items having been ''pawned'' to the broker are themselves called ''pledges'' o ...
and returned to Collins. Another Collins signature instrument is a custom-built
star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...
-shaped bass guitar he also calls the Space Bass, built for him by Manuel "Manny" Salvador of GuitarCraft in 1998. In 2006 Collins made an agreement with Traben to make a signature Collins model bass, the Bootzilla. During the 2010 NAMM Show, Collins's new signature bass was released by
Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...
, a customized Infinity Bass called "Bootsy Collins Black Star Signature Bass" or "Bootsy Collins Orange Star Signature Bass", depending on the color of the stars on it.


Funk University

In July 2010, Collins, in partnership with former child actor Cory Danziger, launched Funk University ("Funk U"), an online-only bass guitar school in which he also serves as
curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...
and lead professor. Funk University offers an intense curriculum tailored for intermediate to advanced bass players as well as anyone interested in a deeper understanding of funk. The curriculum is based on bass theory, history of funk, and Collins's own musical history given by Collins himself, augmented by lessons and exercises in bass and rhythm from guest bassist professors such as Les Claypool, Meshell Ndegeocello,
John B John Bryn Williams (born 1977), known as John B, is an English disc jockey and electronic music producer. He is widely recognised for his eccentric clothing and wild hair and his production of several cutting edge drum and bass tracks. John ...
(Williams) and Victor Wooten. As of 2021, Funk University is now defunct.


Legacy

He has been mentioned in the song " Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club in the line "Clinton's musicians such as Bootsy Collins raise expectation to a new intention", while "Got more bass than Bootsy Collins" is a line in the song " Rumble in the Jungle" by the Fugees. His influence in popular culture is seen in that he has been referenced by a number of television series. In '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' episode "Sooooooul Train", Geoffrey sneaks into the '' Soul Train'' tapings posing as Collins, while in '' The Mighty Boosh'' episode "
The Legend of Old Gregg ''The Mighty Boosh''s second series was originally broadcast between 26 July 2005 and 30 August 2005. The series features five main cast members: Julian Barratt, Noel Fielding, Rich Fulcher, Michael Fielding and Dave Brown (comedian), Dave Brown. ...
" an alien creature named 'The Funk' lands on Collins's house, giving him his ability to play the bass guitar "like some kinda delirious funky priest", as well as the ability to see around corners. Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist
Flea Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, ...
, who cited Collins as one of his primary influences, appeared in unmistakably Collins style clothing in the video for RHCP's " Dani California", and Collins's "What's a Telephone Bill?" was sampled for 2Pac's "Str8 Ballin'" track from his '' Thug Life: Volume 1'' album. Les Claypool has also cited Collins as a musical influence. In 2004 Collins was featured on the cover of " The Joker" on the Fatboy Slim album ''
Palookaville Palookaville may refer to: * ''Palookaville'' (film), a 1995 comedy film * ''Palookaville'' (album), a 2004 electronic album by Fatboy Slim * ''Palookaville'' (comics), an alternative comic book See also * Palooka (disambiguation) {{disa ...
''. Collins served as Heineken's Amsterjam 2005 curator and master of ceremonies on Randall's Island, New York. On January 26, 2007, Collins gave the commencement address at the graduation ceremony at
The Art Institute of Ohio - Cincinnati The Art Institutes (AI) are a collection of private for-profit art schools in the United States. Since 2019, the schools have been owned by Education Principle Foundation (aka Colbeck Foundation), a non-profit that also owns South Universi ...
.


Awards and achievements

Collins appeared with Toots & the Maytals on the album '' True Love'' that won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2005. In October 2010, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by '' Bass Player'' magazine at the Key Club in Los Angeles. Collins was inducted in 2016 into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.


Personal life

In March 2011, Collins and his wife visited Franklin L. Williams M.S #7's Little Kids Rock program, donated a bass, gave the children a bass lesson, and rapped with them while they played the blues. He is now an honorary board member of the organization. Collins is an honorary member of
Phi Beta Sigma Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young Afr ...
fraternity. In an April 2011 interview with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...
'', Collins stated that, at one point in his life, he took LSD every day for over two years.


Discography

* ''
Ultra Wave ''Ultra Wave'' is the fifth album released by funk musician Bootsy Collins. It was released on November 12, 1980 by Warner Bros. Records. It is the first album credited solely to Bootsy Collins, as opposed to his previous releases, which were cre ...
'' (1980) * '' The One Giveth, the Count Taketh Away'' (1982) * '' What's Bootsy Doin'?'' (1988) * ''
Fresh Outta 'P' University ''Fresh Outta 'P' University'' is a 1997 studio album by former P-Funk bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was originally released by the WEA/Black Culture label in Europe and Japan and then by Private I records (distributed by Mercury Records) in ...
'' (1997) * '' Play with Bootsy'' (2002) * ''
Christmas Is 4 Ever ''Christmas Is 4 Ever'' is a 2006 Christmas-themed album by Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was released in the United States by the Shout Factory label and by P-Vine Records in Japan. The album represents the first Christ ...
'' (2006) * ''The Official BootLeggedBootsyCD'' (2009) * ''
Tha Funk Capital of the World ''Tha Funk Capital of the World'' is the thirteenth studio album by American funk musician Bootsy Collins, released on April 26, 2011, by Mascot Records. It features an array of Bootsy's friends and colleagues including Chuck D, Snoop Dogg and Boo ...
'' (2011) * '' World Wide Funk'' (2017) * ''
The Power of the One ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' (2020) * '' Nobody's Perfect Experience'' (2021)


Filmography

In 2005, Collins appeared with Madonna, Iggy Pop,
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
, and The Roots'
Questlove Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born January 20, 1971), known professionally as Questlove (stylized as ), is an American musician, record producer, disc jockey, filmmaker, music journalist, and actor. He is the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Tho ...
, in an American TV commercial for the Motorola ROKR phone. Collins was featured in the 2002 film '' Standing in the Shadows of Motown''. Collins voiced the character Boötes Belinda in the ''
Loonatics Unleashed ''Loonatics Unleashed'' is an American superhero animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that ran on Kids' WB for two seasons from 2005 to 2007 in the United States. The series was based/inspired on the '' Looney Tunes' ...
'' episode "The Music Villain". In 2009, Collins appeared in the '' Everybody Hates Chris'' episode "Everybody Hates Tasha". Collins played an alien version of himself in the R-rated Williams Street spring break special '' Freaknik: The Musical'' on
Adult Swim Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
in March 2010. On April 15, 2011, he appeared on '' Later... with Jools Holland'', performing a memorable snippet of funk with
Jools Jools is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Jools Holland (born 1958), English pianist, bandleader and television presenter * Jools Jameson (born 1968), British computer game developer *Jools Topp (born 1958), one half of New Zea ...
. In the fall of 2011, Collins began being featured in a TV commercial for Old Navy in which he is making "
boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is c ...
s" made by Bootsy to be sold at Old Navy. He was also featured on an episode of '' Yo Gabba Gabba!'' on Nick Jr. Collins guest starred as himself at the end of "Mid-Season Finale", an episode of '' The Patrick Star Show'', a spin-off of Nickelodeon's ''SpongeBob SquarePants,'' in 2022. Collins is the voice of Jimi Hendrix in the 2010 documentary, ''Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child'', which is based on Hendrix's own words from letters, interviews and other printed materials.


Tour

In June 2011, Collins played the 10th Annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.


References


External links

*
Bootsy's Funk University
*
Bootsy bio on Allmusic William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading n ...
br>Collins Looks To Future with Science Faction
''Billboard'', 2007. *Rob Fitzpatrick
Bootsy Collins: 'The freak show never ended'
''The Guardian'', April 14, 2011.
Bootsy Collins RBMA lecture

CincyMusic Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Bootsy 1951 births Living people American funk bass guitarists American male bass guitarists American funk drummers American rhythm and blues bass guitarists American soul musicians Musicians from Cincinnati American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters American funk singers American soul singers African-American male singer-songwriters P-Funk members The J.B.'s members Grammy Award winners Warner Records artists Ace Records (United States) artists Columbia Records artists Guitarists from Ohio American male guitarists 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American guitarists Praxis (band) members African-American guitarists 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American male singers Singer-songwriters from Ohio