Billy Bass Nelson, a founding member and original bassist for Parliament-Funkadelic, died on Jan. 31. He was 75.
The death of Nelson, who coined the term “Funkadelic,” was announced on the Facebook page of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.
“We have now received official confirmation,” the post stated. “Rest in eternal peace and Funk, Billy Bass Nelson.”
The post did not state where Nelson died or what his cause of death was, The New York Times reported. He had been in hospice care.
Nelson was sweeping floors at a Plainfield, New Jersey, barbershop where Clinton worked, Rolling Stone reported. Clinton befriended several musicians, and they formed a group that mixed R&B with funk and acid rock into a pulsating beat during the 1960s and ‘70s, according to the Times.
“They grabbed the funk movement from James Brown and took off running,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame said on its website, noting that 16 members of the group were inducted into the music shrine in 1997.
Nelson played bass on Funkadelic’s first three albums, which were released in 1970 and 1971, singing lead vocal on at least one song from each album, Rolling Stone reported. He co-wrote and sang “Super Stupid” one of the band’s 1971 album, “Maggot Brain.”
Nelson also played bass for Parliament on the group’s 1974 debut album, “Osmium.”
After a monetary dispute with Clinton, Nelson left the band and played backup for several groups, including the Temptations, the Times reported.
William Nelson Jr. was born on Jan. 26, 1951, in Plainfield. He hung out at the barbershop where Clinton cut hair while trying to get his band booked for some shows. Clinton recruited Nelson and other teens to sing backup after several older musicians were drafted into the Army, the Times reported.
Nelson, never comfortable with being considered the “baby” of the group, made a statement with his attire, once showing up in concert wearing a diaper and combat boots, according to Rolling Stone.
Nelson also had strong opinions about funk, noting that it had to be played “at a very specific tempo.”
“A lot of groups play ‘funk’ licks and do ‘funk’ things, like thumbing the bass and all, but they play it all too fast,” he told Guitar Player magazine in 1996. “If you want to play that raw, serious funk, you have to slow it down.”
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