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Billy Bass Nelson, Original Bassist for Parliament-Funkadelic, Dies at 75
Billy Bass Nelson was a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997 for his influential bass work.
- William `Billy Bass` Nelson, founding bassist of Parliament-Funkadelic, died on Jan. 31, 2026, at age 75, George Clinton's Facebook page confirmed.
- Clinton recruited Nelson into the Parliaments after meeting him at a Plainfield barbershop, where he worked as a teenager, and Nelson helped coin `Funkadelic`.
- Playing bass, Nelson sang lead on at least one track across Funkadelic's first three albums and co-wrote songs including `Super Stupid` during the `Maggot Brain` era.
- Fans and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame reacted with tributes after an erroneous Jan. 26 post misreported Nelson's death, then confirmed his passing on Saturday, three days after his 75th birthday.
- Nelson's bass lines helped shape later sounds, pushing funk into new territory and influencing Dr. Dre's `G-funk`, while collaborating on the 1994 O.G.Funk — 1994 album `Out of the Dark`.
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Parliament-Funkadelic rocker Billy Bass Nelson dies at 75
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer met future collaborator George Clinton as a teenager.Billy Bass Nelson of Parliament-Funkadelic in 1971 Michael Ochs Archives/GettyBilly Bass Nelson, the original bassist for what was once George Clinton's backing band Funkadelic, has died, the band confirmed on Facebook. He was 75."We have now received official confirmation," a post from the official page for Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic read. "Rest in eternal…
·United States
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Billy Bass Nelson, Parliament-Funkadelic Bassist, has died at age 75.
·Los Angeles, United States
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Total News Sources15
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 33%
C 67%
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