The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer met future collaborator George Clinton as a teenager. ParliamentFunkadelic rocker Billy Bass Nelson dies at 75 The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer met future collaborator George Clinton as a teenager. By Raechal Shewfelt :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/RaechalShewfeltauthorphotoc49d3a3b6aa442f588f2bbc0de804e09.jpg) Raechal Shewfelt Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at . She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American Journalism Review and The Shreveport Times. EW's editorial guidelines February 3, 2026 8:20 p.m.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer met future collaborator George Clinton as a teenager.

Parliament-Funkadelic rocker Billy Bass Nelson dies at 75

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer met future collaborator George Clinton as a teenager.

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

EW's editorial guidelines

February 3, 2026 8:20 p.m. ET

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Billy Bass Nelson of Parliament-Funkadelic in 1971. Credit:

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

Billy Bass Nelson, the original bassist for what was once George Clinton's backing band Funkadelic, has died, the band confirmed on Facebook. He was 75.

"We have now received official confirmation," a post from the official page for Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic read. "Rest in eternal peace and Funk, Billy Bass Nelson (January 28th, 1951-January 31st, 2026), bassist/guitarist for Parliament-Funkadelic."

A cause of death was not given. The musician had been in hospice care, according to *The New York Times*.

Born in 1951 in Plainfield, N.J., as William Nelson Jr., Nelson met Clinton when he was a teen working part-time sweeping floors for Clinton, who was then a hairstylist. Clinton already had a doo-wop group, the Parliaments, but he wanted a band to back them up and offered a role to Nelson, originally as a guitarist who later switched to bass.

Billy Bass Nelson, right, with Parliament-Funkadelic in 1971.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty

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It was Nelson who later called the funkier band that began backing the Parliaments in 1967 by the name of Funkadelic, according to the band's website.

After Clinton temporarily lost the legal right to his original band's name in the early '70s, the larger group worked as Funkadelic. Nelson was part of the team for several albums, including their self-titled debut in 1970, *Free Your Mind… and Your Ass Will Follow* the same year, and 1971's *Maggot Brain*, which featured Nelson singing "Super Stupid."

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The group would later use either of their names — Clinton, by then, had regained use of the name Parliament — depending on the type of music they wanted to play.**

Nelson left the group in 1971, following a disagreement with Clinton over money.

Still, he went on to play with Clinton again for select performances, and he briefly rejoined the group in 1975, appearing on their song "Better by the Pound," but he soon left again.

Billy Bass Nelson has died.

Billy Bass Nelson/Facebook

He later played with the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, the Commodores, Lionel Richie, and others. In 1994, he released a solo album but also took his place back in what had become Parliament-Funkadelic.

Three years later, he was one of 16 musicians who were part of the band when it was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Prince did the honors of inducting them.

"Vivid. Surreal. Psychedelic. Unpredictable. Parliament and Funkadelic were the mind-blowing, soul-expanding musical equivalent of an acid trip," the Rock Hall's website reads. "They grabbed the funk movement from James Brown and took off running."

Nelson's survivors include a daughter, Ebony Nelson, and a sister, Alise Nelson.**

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Published: February 05, 2026 at 11:01AM on Source: MARIO MAG

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