NEED TO KNOW
Parliament-Funkadelic’s founding bassist Billy Bass Nelson has died. He was 75.
News of Nelson’s death was revealed in a statement on the official Facebook page for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.
“We have now received official confirmation,” the statement read. “Rest in eternal peace and Funk, Billy Bass Nelson (January 28th, 1951-January 31st, 2026), bassist/guitarist for Parliament-Funkadelic.”
The late musician, whose real name was William Nelson Jr., died on Saturday, Jan. 31. No cause of death was revealed, however the New York Times reported that the bassist “had been in hospice care.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic for additional comment.
Born in Plainfield, N.J. in 1951, Nelson first encountered George Clinton as a teenager when he swept floors and sang at his barbershop. Later, Clinton formed doo-wop vocal group the Parliaments, where he recruited Nelson and his Eddie Hazel as a part of his backing band. Later, Nelson would coin the backing band “Funkadelic.”
The Parliaments scored a hit in 1967 with their song “(I Wanna) Testify,” which reached No. 20 on the pop chart and No. 3 on the R&B chart. However, the group delved into psychedelic territory with their next single “All Your Goodies Are Gone.”
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty
After a 1967 dispute with their record label, Revilot, the group needed to find a new label and a new name, since Clinton said Revilot claimed to own the Parliaments. The band initially rebranded as Funkadelic, a name Nelson allegedly coined.
By 1970, Funkadelic became full band, featuring Nelson, Hazel, drummer Tiki Fulwood, guitarist Tawl Ross, and keyboardist Mickey Atkins, who was later replaced by Bernie Worrell.
On Funkadelic’s first three albums Funkadelic (1970), Free Your Mind … and Your Ass Will Follow (1970), and Maggot Brain (1971), Nelson was featured as a bassist. He also sang lead vocals on a minimum of one song from each album.
Nelson famously co-wrote and and sang “Super Stupid” one of the tracks featured on the group’s 1971 album, Maggot Brain.
Billy Bass Nelson/Facebook
According to Clinton’s website, Nelson left the group after a “financial dispute” with the bandleader, becoming the first P-Funk band member to defect.
Nelson went onto perform with the Temptations before reuniting with Parliament-Funkadelic for track “Better by the Pound,” which appeared on Funkadelic’s 1975 album Let’s Take It to the Stage. Throughout the end of the ’70s, Nelson earned more credits on Parliament and Funkadelic albums.
After another departure from Parliament and Funkadelic, Nelson performed with Commodores, Jermaine Jackson, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, and more. He also found fans in John Norwood Fisher (of Fishbone) and Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers), per Clinton’s website.
Additionally, Nelson was featured on solo albums by P-Funk members including Hazel, Ruth Copeland, and Worrell and more.
Nelson rejoined Parliament-Funkadelic in 1994.
