Bootsy Collins
b. William Collins, 26 October 1951, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. This exceptional showman was an integral part of the JBs, the backing group fashioned by James Brown to replace the Famous Flames. Between 1969 and 1971, the distinctive Bootsy basswork propelled some of the era's definitive funk anthems. Collins was later part of the large-scale defection in which several of Brown's most valued musicians switched to George Clinton's Parliament/ Funkadelic organization. The bassist's popularity inspired the formation of Bootsy's Rubber Band, a spin-off group featuring such Brown/Clinton associates as Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and Bernie Worrell. Bootsy's outrageous image—part space cadet, part psychedelic warlord—emphasized a mix of funk and fun encapsulated in Psychoticbumpschool (1976), The Pinocchio Theory (1977) and Bootzilla (1978), a US R&B chart-topper. The internal problems plaguing the Clinton camp during the early '80s temporarily hampered Collins’ career although subsequent releases reveal some of his erstwhile charm. Collins and the Bootzilla Orchestra were employed for the production of Malcolm McLaren's 1989 album WALTZ DARLING and by the early '90s the Rubber Band had started full-time touring again.