William “Billy Bass” Nelson, the prolific bassist and founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic, has died.
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Nelson died on Saturday after recent health issues. He was 75.
Earlier this month, Parliament-Funkadelic bandleader George Clinton shared that the group was keeping the bassist “in our thoughts and in our hearts,” but provided no further details regarding his condition. He prematurely announced Nelson’s death in a since-deleted Jan. 26 Facebook post, according to Ultimate Classic Rock. However, Clinton then shared “official confirmation” of Nelson’s death on Saturday, indicating that day (Jan. 31) was actually when Nelson passed away.
“Rest in eternal peace and Funk,” Clinton wrote.
As a teenager, Nelson worked for Clinton at a barbershop and was later invited to join his boss’s vocal group, the Parliaments. In his 2014 autobiography, Clinton shared how Bass contributed to writing the band’s first major hit, 1967’s “(I Wanna) Testify.”
“It comes from an afternoon in the barbershop with the other guys, shooting the shit, and Billy Bass Nelson banging on the guitar,” Clinton recalled, via UCR.
“He was just strumming simple chords, and I was singing a lyric that had been stuck in my head for a while: ‘I just want to testify what your love has done for me.’ Billy and I sang that and let the words settle around us,” Clinton wrote.
“The more we played this new song, the more I knew it would work, not only on the radio but also live,” Clinton added. “It was so infectious, and even there in the barbershop, I could tell that there were so many turnarounds you could do once you got to vamping.”
William “Billy Bass” Nelson Reportedly Suggested Parliament-Funkadelic’s Name
When legal issues prevented Clinton from using the Parliaments name, he pivoted the group’s style to focus on electric guitars under a new name reportedly suggested by Nelson… Funkadelic.
Per Clinton’s website, Nelson performed on the group’s first three albums: 1970’s Funkadelic and Free Your Mind… and Your Ass Will Follow, and 1971’s Maggot Brain. He also played on Parliament’s 1970 debut, Osmium. In addition to playing bass, Nelson sang lead vocals on a couple of songs on each Funkadelic album.
Nelson was the first of many members to leave Parliament-Funkadelic over financial disputes. However, he briefly returned for an appearance on their 1975 album, Let’s Take It to the Stage.
After performing alongside artists like the Commodores, Chairmen of the Board, and Smokey Robinson, Nelson rejoined Parliament-Funkadelic for various tours starting in 1994.
By the early 1990s, Nelson had gained recognition from legendary bassists like John Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Meanwhile, his early Funkadelic work became frequently sampled by hip-hop artists.
In 1994, he joined other P-Funk alumni to release the album Out of the Dark under the name O.G. Funk. He also toured with P-Funk spinoff groups such as 420 Funk Mob and Sons of Funk.