Bootsy Collins

Bootsy Collins first distinguished himself in 1968 by forming The Pacemakers, before solidifying his reputation as an innovator in 1970 by joining James Brown’s backing band, The J.B.’s. During his influential 11-month tenure, Collins contributed his groundbreaking basslines to pivotal funk recordings including ‘Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine’ and ‘Soul Power,’ establishing a unique sound characterized by syncopated 16th-note patterns and a strong slap technique. He further shaped the landscape of funk music by becoming a key member of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic collective in 1972, where he earned extensive songwriting credits across numerous albums and helped define the P-Funk sound. Expanding his musical footprint, Collins formed Bootsy’s Rubber Band in 1976, releasing five albums including the 1978 chart-topper ‘Bootsy?

Expanding into multimedia, Collins launched Funk University, an online bass guitar school, in 2010 and portrayed a radio DJ in the popular video game ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ (2013). He later collaborated with Kali Uchis on ‘After the Storm’ (2018). While announcing his retirement from live performances in 2019 due to health reasons, he has remained actively engaged in studio work and mentoring. Most recently, Collins served as narrator for Silk Sonic’s Grammy-winning album ‘An Evening with Silk Sonic’ in 2021 and emceed the 2022 World Games opening ceremony.

In 2023, he launched the Funk Not Fight Movement and was inducted into the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame. His exceptional career was further acknowledged in 2024 with the receipt of multiple US Presidential Lifetime Achievement Awards, cementing his legacy as a legendary and continuously influential figure in music and culture.