Bootsy Collins
Born: October 25, 1951
Birthplace: Cincinnati, Ohio
Instrument(s): Vocals, Bass
Genre(s): Funk
Famous For...: being a member of the band Parliament and Funkadelic.
"Bootsy" Collins is a funk bassist, singer and songwriter who first rose to prominence as a backup singer for James Brown and then as a member of Parliament-Funkadelic in the 1970s. In 1976, Bootsy and some of his band members formed Bootsy's Rubber Band, a separate touring unit of Clinton's P-Funk collective. The group recorded four albums together, the first three of which are often considered to be among the quintessential P-Funk recordings. The group's 1978 album Bootsy? Player of the Year reached the top of the R&B album chart and spawned the #1 R&B single "Bootzilla."
Bootsy also released a 1980 album, Sweat Band, on George Clinton's Uncle Jam label with a group billed as Bootsy's Sweat Band. In 1990, Bootsy collaborated with Deee-Lite on their massive hit "Groove Is In The Heart," where he contributed additional vocals. Although he also appeared in the music video playing the bass, the bassline in the song is actually a sample of a Herbie Hancock song called "Bring out the birds."
Collins' driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, along with 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. In 2004, he appeared on Snoop Dogg's Rhythm & Gangsta album and on the cover of "The Joker" on the Fatboy Slim album Palookaville. Bootsy has released several albums since and is now working on a new release in which he plays bass alongside guitarist Buckethead, drummer Brain and lead vocalist Greg Hampton.
Source: Wikipedia