Home / Arts and Entertainment / Funkadelic Bassist Billy Bass Nelson Dies at 75
Funkadelic Bassist Billy Bass Nelson Dies at 75
4 Feb
Summary
- Billy Bass Nelson, original bassist for Funkadelic, passed away recently.
- He was 75 and had been in hospice care before his death.
- Nelson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
William "Billy Bass" Nelson Jr., the original bassist for the groundbreaking funk band Funkadelic, has died at the age of 75. The confirmation came via a Facebook post from George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic's official page. Nelson had reportedly been receiving hospice care. He was born in Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1951. Nelson met George Clinton as a teenager and became a founding member of Funkadelic, credited with coining the band's name.
Nelson played on seminal Funkadelic albums including their 1970 self-titled debut, "Free Your Mind... and Your Ass Will Follow," and the 1971 classic "Maggot Brain," where he sang on "Super Stupid." Though he left the group in 1971 due to a financial disagreement, he later rejoined for select performances and briefly in 1975. He also contributed to other artists' work before rejoining Parliament-Funkadelic. In 1997, Nelson was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of the band.
