Bootsy Collins

Instantly recognizable by either his popping melodic basslines or his highly charismatic vocal pronouncements, Bootsy Collins is both an all-time great funk and R&B musician and a consummate character. Catapulted to fame in his late teens as a member of the J.B.'s, Collins became a pupil of James Brown and was immediately crucial to the singer and bandleader's reshaping of soul into tight, hard funk at the dawn of the '70s. Remarkably, Collins was only getting started by the time he was accepted into the Parliament-Funkadelic family, where he played a greater role as a songwriter and vocalist. He was central to P-Funk hits such as "Up for the Down Stroke" (1974) and "Tear the Roof Off the Sucker" (1976) by the time he made another splash with "I'd Rather Be with You" (1976), his first big single as the head of Bootsy's Rubber Band. His discography as a leader and proper solo artist is set further apart by the gold LPs Ahh...The Name Is Bootsy, Baby! (1977) and Bootsy? Player of the Year (1978), and the number one R&B hit "Bootzilla" (1978). Furthermore, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has remained a constant collaborator for decades. He has worked extensively under an assortment of guises beside Bill Laswell, and has initiated reciprocal relationships with scores of rap artists, documented on animated solo albums extending from Fresh Outta 'P' University (1997) to The Power of the One (2020).

From 🇺🇸 United States