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 Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parlia ...

, 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 Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...

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 Deee-Lite was an American house and dance music group formed in New York City. The group's best-known single is " Groove Is in the Heart", which was released in 1990 from their debut studio album ''World Clique'' (1990), and was a top-ten hit ...

's "

Groove Is in the Heart "Groove Is in the Heart" is a song by American dance band Deee-Lite, released in August 1990 as their debut and lead single from their first album, ''World Clique'' (1990). Written and produced by the band, it was a hit in many countries, reach ...

"), electronic

big beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as t ...

(

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 f ...

'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 The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music an ...

, 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 co ...

'' 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 lin ...

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 Phelps "Catfish" Collins (October 17, 1943 – August 6, 2010) was an American musician. A lead guitarist and rhythm guitarist, he is known mostly for his work in the P-Funk collective. Although frequently overshadowed by his younger brother, ...

(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

, 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 "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" is a song recorded by James Brown with Bobby Byrd on backing vocals. Released as a two-part single in 1970, it was a no. 2 R&B hit and reached no. 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 2004, "Sex Mach ...

", "

Bewildered "Bewildered" is a popular song written in 1936 by Teddy Powell and Leonard Whitcup. It was a 1938 hit for Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. 1948 recordings The song was revived in the late 1940s when two different versions, by the Red Miller Trio a ...

(1970)", " Super Bad", "

Soul Power "Soul Power" is a song by James Brown. Brown recorded it with the original J.B.'s (plus Fred Wesley) and it was released as a three-part single in 1971. Like "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and other hits from this period it features ...

", " Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing", and two instrumental singles, the much-sampled "

The Grunt "The Grunt" is a funk instrumental recorded in 1970 in music, 1970 by James Brown's band The J.B.'s. It was released as a two-part Single (music), single on King Records (USA), King. It was one of only two instrumental singles recorded by the origi ...

" 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 McCullough ...

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 ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, 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. ...

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 Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkade ...

. Collins played bass on most of

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 the ...

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 ide ...

, 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'' reached the top of the R&B album chart and spawned the #1 R&B single " Bootzilla". Like Clinton, Collins took on several

alter ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differe ...

s, 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 al ...

). 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'', 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. In 1984, he collaborated with

Jerry Harrison Jeremiah Griffin Harrison (born February 21, 1949) is an American songwriter, musician, producer, and entrepreneur. He began his professional music career as a member of the cult band the Modern Lovers before becoming keyboardist and guitarist ...

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

to produce " Five Minutes", a dance record sampled and edited from Ronald Reagan's infamous "

We begin bombing in five minutes "We begin bombing in five minutes" is the last sentence of a controversial, off-the-record joke made by U.S. President Ronald Reagan in 1984, during the Cold War. While preparing for a scheduled radio address from his vacation home in California ...

" speech. The record was credited to "Bonzo goes to Washington" (also referenced in the 1985

Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first true punk rock group. Despite achieving a limited commercial appeal in the United ...

song " Bonzo Goes to Bitburg", derived from Reagan's starring role as Professor Peter Boyd in the 1951 comedy film '' Bedtime for Bonzo''). After a nearly five-year hiatus, he had a comeback in 1988 (with some help from producer

Bill Laswell William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, ...

). '' 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 ''Perfect Machine'' is the thirty-seventh album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. It was the third and final album in Hancock’s series co-produced by Bill Laswell. Guests include bassist Bootsy Collins. Background The album was produced with B ...

'' (1988). The techno-funk they recorded featured turntables for scratch appeal, and the smoothly-stylized vocals of

Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner Leroy Roosevelt "Sugarfoot" Bonner (March 14, 1943 – January 26, 2013) was a musician, vocalist, and producer. Born in Hamilton, Ohio, about 20 miles (32 km) north of Cincinnati in 1943, Bonner grew up poor, the oldest of 14 children. He ...

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 guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guita ...

ist. In 1988, Collins appeared as a guest artist to play bass on

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

and The X-Pensive Winos album ''Talk is Cheap''. In 1989, Collins played bass on and produced several tracks of

Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English impresario, visual artist, singer, songwriter, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner, notable for combining these activities in an inventive and provo ...

'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

on their biggest hit "

", 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 Stevie Salas (born November 17, 1964) is a Native American guitarist, author, television host, music director, record producer, film composer, and former advisor of contemporary music at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. ...

and drummer

Buddy Miles George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of the Electric Flag (1967), a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys (1969–1 ...

to form the funk-metal fusion group

Hardware Hardware may refer to: Technology Computing and electronics * Electronic hardware, interconnected electronic components which perform analog or logic operations ** Digital electronics, electronics that operate on digital signals *** Computer hard ...

. The trio released one album, '' Third Eye Open'', before disbanding. In the same year, Collins played bass guitar on the first

album (produced by Laswell): ''

Transmutation Transmutation may refer to: Pseudoscience and science Alchemy *Chrysopoeia and argyropoeia, the turning of inexpensive metals, such as lead or copper, into gold and silver * Magnum opus (alchemy), the creation of the philosopher's stone * Menta ...

'', alongside fellow Parliament-Funkadelic member Bernie Worrell,

Bryan Mantia Bryan Kei Mantia (born February 4, 1963), known professionally as Brain, is an American rock drummer. He has played with bands such as Primus, Guns N' Roses, Praxis, and Godflesh, and with other performers such as Tom Waits, Serj Tankian, Bil ...

and

Buckethead Brian Patrick Carroll (born May 13, 1969), known professionally as Buckethead, is an American guitarist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has received critical acclaim for his innovative electric guitar playing. His music spans severa ...

. 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 F ...

'' 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. Bootsy_Collins-04

In 1995, Collins played in the remake of Jimi Hendrix's " If 6 Was 9," 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''), and the song also appeared in the soundtrack of the movie ''

Stealing Beauty ''Stealing Beauty'' (french: Beauté volée; it, Io ballo da sola) is a 1996 drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and starring Liv Tyler, Joseph Fiennes, Jeremy Irons, Sinéad Cusack, and Rachel Weisz. Written by Bertolucci and Susan Minot ...

''. Collins collaborated with

Del McCoury Delano Floyd McCoury (born February 1, 1939) is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo resp ...

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award ...

and

Mac Wiseman Malcolm Bell Wiseman (May 23, 1925 – February 24, 2019) was an American bluegrass and country singer. Early life He was born on May 23, 1925, in Crimora, Virginia. He attended school in New Hope, Virginia, and graduated from high school the ...

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

song " Weapon of Choice" from his 2000 album '' Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars''. 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, fl ...

'' ("Walk without rhythm and you won't attract the worm"). The song won multiple

MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...

s and a

Grammy Award for Best Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

. 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 ma ...

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 George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Rol ...

, and other notable musicians as the band playing with Hank Williams, Jr. 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, A ...

'' 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 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, Califo ...

/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 The North Sea Jazz Festival is an annual festival held each second weekend of July in the Netherlands at the Ahoy venue. It used to be in The Hague but since 2006 it has been held in Rotterdam. This is because the Statenhal where the festival wa ...

. 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 John Henry "Jabo" Starks (; October 26, 1937Sources vary as to his year of birth. According to his obituary, published by Mobile Register, Starks was born on October 26, 1937; The New York Times gives 1938 – May 1, 2018), sometimes spelled Jab' ...

, and

, 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 gr ...

''. 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'' 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 The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head ( cephalization), usually near organs for special ...

. The album was released in November 2008. Bootsy Collins and Fatboy Slim

Collins promoted

Rock the Vote Rock the Vote is a non-profit progressive-aligned organization in the United States whose stated mission is "to engage and build the political power of young Americans." The organization was founded in 1990 by Virgin Records America Co-Chairman ...

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, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

'', in which several of his own songs were featured. Collins has also collaborated extensively with

, and also frequently collaborated with fellow bassist

Victor Wooten Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He has been the bassist for Béla Fleck and the Flecktones since the group's formation in 1988 and a member of the band SMV with two other ...

. On December 14, 2018, Collins played a show with Detroit-based funk artist

GRiZ Grant Richard Kwiecinski (born May 31, 1990), also known by his stage name GRiZ, is an American DJ, songwriter, and electronic music producer from Southfield Michigan. He is known for playing the saxophone along with producing funk, electro-soul ...

, 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 ''An Evening with Silk Sonic'' is the debut studio album by American musical superduo Silk Sonic, composed of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. It was released on November 12, 2021, by Aftermath Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Silk Sonic reuni ...

'', the first studio album from

Silk Sonic Silk Sonic is an American musical superduo composed of musicians Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. The duo released their debut single, " Leave the Door Open", in March 2021. They later released " Skate" in July 2021, followed by third single, " ...

, a collaboration between

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...

and

Anderson .Paak Brandon Paak Anderson (born February 8, 1986), better known by his stage name Anderson .Paak (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and drummer. He released his debut mixtape, ''O.B.E. Vol. 1,'' in 2012 and went on to rel ...

. 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 The 2022 World Games were an international multi-sport event held from July 7 to 17, 2022, in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. They were the 11th World Games, a multi-sport event featuring disciplines of Olympic sports and other competition ...

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% fr ...

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: Un ...

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, ...

''. 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'' or ...

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 held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth make ...

-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 The NAMM Show is an annual event in the United States that is organized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), who describe it as "the industry’s largest stage, uniting the global music, sound and entertainment technology commun ...

, 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. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and W ...

, 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 Cory Danziger is an American actor, political activist, and conceptual artist. He is sometimes mis-credited as Cory Danzi''n''ger. Danziger was born in Los Angeles County, California. As an actor, his most notable role was as Dave Peterson, the ...

, 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 Leslie Edward Claypool (born September 29, 1963) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and author. He is best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the ro ...

Meshell Ndegeocello Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...

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. Joh ...

(Williams) and

. As of 2021, Funk University is now defunct.

Legacy

He has been mentioned in the song " Genius of Love" by

Tom Tom Club Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth and as a side project from Talking Heads. Their best known songs include " Wordy Rappinghood", " Genius of Love", and a cover o ...

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 ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

. 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 ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

'' episode "Sooooooul Train", Geoffrey sneaks into the ''

Soul Train ''Soul Train'' is an American musical variety television show. It aired in syndication from October 2, 1971, to March 25, 2006. Across its 35-year history the show primarily featured performances by R&B, soul, and hip hop artists. The series ...

'' tapings posing as Collins, while in ''

The Mighty Boosh The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spanned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three which a ...

'' episode " The Legend of Old Gregg" 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 Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, f ...

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, a ...

, who cited Collins as one of his primary influences, appeared in unmistakably Collins style clothing in the video for RHCP's "

Dani California "Dani California" is a song from American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers' ninth studio album, '' Stadium Arcadium'' (2006). The single was first made available at the iTunes Music Store and was officially released on April 28, 2006. The interna ...

", and Collins's "What's a Telephone Bill?" was sampled for

2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

's "Str8 Ballin'" track from his '' Thug Life: Volume 1'' album.

has also cited Collins as a musical influence. In 2004 Collins was featured on the cover of "

The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman'' on April 25, 19 ...

" on the Fatboy Slim album '' Palookaville''. Collins served as Heineken's Amsterjam 2005 curator and master of ceremonies on

Randall's Island Randalls Island (sometimes called Randall's Island) and Wards Island are conjoined islands, collectively called Randalls and Wards Islands, in New York County, New York City,

, 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 Univers ...

Awards and achievements

Collins appeared with Toots & the Maytals on the album '' True Love'' that won the

Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album The Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1985 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works in the reggae music genre. Honors in sev ...

in 2005. In October 2010, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by ''

Bass Player A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low b ...

'' 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 historically African American fraternity. It was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students with nine other Howard students as char ...

fraternity. In an April 2011 interview with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'', Collins stated that, at one point in his life, he took

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...

every day for over two years.

Discography

* ''

'' (1980) * ''

The One Giveth, the Count Taketh Away ''The One Giveth, the Count Taketh Away'' is an album by William Bootsy Collins, released by Warner Bros. Records. It would be the last album that Bootsy Collins would record for the label. It would also be the first album produced solely by Bo ...

'' (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) i ...

'' (1997) * '' Play with Bootsy'' (2002) * ''

'' (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 ''World Wide Funk'' is the 15th studio album by former Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. The album was released on October 26, 2017—Collins' 66th birthday—by Mascot Records and was made available on CD, 180G "Splatter" vinyl, and d ...

'' (2017) * ''

The Power of the One ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in E ...

'' (2020) * '' Nobody's Perfect Experience'' (2021)

Filmography

In 2005, Collins appeared with Madonna,

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...

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 The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's '' The Tonight Show Starring Jimm ...

' Questlove, in an American TV commercial for the

Motorola ROKR The Motorola ROKR (), the first version of which was informally known as the iTunes phone, was a series of mobile phones from Motorola, part of a 4LTR line developed before the spin out of Motorola Mobility. ROKR models were released starting in ...

phone. Collins was featured in the 2002 film ''

Standing in the Shadows of Motown ''Standing in the Shadows of Motown'' is a 2002 American documentary film directed by Paul Justman that recounts the story of The Funk Brothers, the uncredited and largely unheralded studio musicians who were the house band that Berry Gordy hand-pi ...

''. 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 ''Everybody Hates Chris'' is an American television semi-autobiographical sitcom that is inspired by the memories of the teenage years of comedian Chris Rock. The show is set from 1982 to 1987, although Rock himself was actually a teenager from ...

'' episode "Everybody Hates Tasha". Collins played an alien version of himself in the R-rated

Williams Street Williams Street Productions, LLC, d/b/a Williams Street and formerly known as Ghost Planet Industries, is an American animation and live action television production studio owned by the Warner Bros. Television Studios division of Warner Bros ...

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. In the fall of 2011, Collins began being featured in a TV commercial for Old Navy in which he is making " boots" made by Bootsy to be sold at Old Navy. He was also featured on an episode of ''

Yo Gabba Gabba! ''Yo Gabba Gabba!'' is a children's musical television series created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz. The series is about five costumed toys come-to-life and their friend DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson). It is co-produced by Magic Stor ...

'' 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 The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Since its first year in 2002, it has been held at what is now Great Stage Park on a farm in Ma ...

Manchester, Tennessee Manchester is a city in Coffee County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 12,213 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Coffee County. The city is located halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga on Interstate 24. Manchester is ...

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